196 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



Antoine above him, and I went to the yellow cornice. 

 It was a very hot pull up through the wood. Just as 

 I got on to the cornice, I thought I heard a whistling 

 snort behind me somewhere, and am pretty sure it was a 

 bouquetin. I posted myself on the ledge under the 

 precipice, guarding up to the right along its foot and 

 over the avalanche to the left, in which direction I 

 commanded some capital bits of cornice. It was here 

 that Arthur saw three bouquetin in 1879. I saw 

 the lammergeier on his usual hunt. The men arrived 

 about two, Celestin and Michell on the two little cornices. 

 They had found lots of tracks and droppings, but seen 

 nothing. They passed on by me to finish the beat, 

 and when I thought it was time went down and joined 

 them on the path by the avalanche. We spent the 

 evening spying, Celestin and I going to the south side 

 to spy the rock to see if, after all, the beggars could 

 be there and come out to graze, but saw nothing. 



Sunday ', loth April 1881. A lovely morning. 

 The men started an hour before us to beat the Torla 

 beat, Arthur and I posting ourselves high up in the 

 ordinary posts. Saw nothing but an old black wood- 

 pecker, who sat motionless, half-hidden by the trunk of 

 a tree for twenty minutes, spying me round the corner. 

 Lunched on a hot chicken at the cabane on passing. 

 Decided upon beating the chateau, as we suspected that 

 the bouquetin must have slipped off behind the beaters 

 in that direction ; we also determined not to leave the 

 Black Rocks out this time, as I fear we have too often 

 done before now. Arthur went to the castle and I to 

 the Cotatoire pass. The men took a long time ; but on 

 arriving, told me they had found lots of marks and a 

 large track, low down, passing across the gorge into the 

 Sanctuary. I kept my post, and the men gradually got 

 smaller and smaller, and at last disappeared. As soon 



