198 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



him through the cheek. With his second he broke his 

 back as he dashed down the hill. He was a three-year- 

 old, with four broad teeth. 



Monday, I ith April I 88 1. A fine morning, but with 

 sharp N.E. wind and cold. Beat the central and east 

 beats of the south side. On my way up to my post 

 with Antoine we came on the fresh tracks of bouquetin 

 in a hollow below the rocks where my post is (we had 

 left Arthur at the low post). Immediately afterwards 

 we came on four bouquetin, about 80 yards off, feeding 

 in the sun amongst a lot of rotten branches under some 

 silvers. At first I could only see a year-old distinctly, 

 and the little beast saw me and stood squinting at me 

 through the sun. The wind was very shifting and a 

 puff reached them. A very fine female stepped up on to 

 a trunk and offered me a most tempting shot. I had 

 the trigger half pulled, for it was difficult to resist, though 

 I had vowed not to shoot females, when Antoine 

 whispered, Hay un bucardo estd escondido de Vd. detras 

 un arbol. Of course I did not know what sort of a 

 male it might be, and while I was trying to make out, 

 a second puff of wind reached them and they bolted. 

 The male, if male there was, was so small I could 

 not distinguish him from the others. They went 

 towards the men. The beat as usual took a long time 

 and the cold was bitter. When the men arrived, they 

 said that the dogs had put the bouquetin and another 

 solitary one up into the top cornice. As they had 

 now to go down and round to the bears' ford I lit a fire 

 under a silver and warmed myself till about 2.30, when 

 I went east to see the jagged rock which commands the 

 post. It is a splendid post, but the cold was horrible. 

 The men arrived at last, having seen very little signs. 

 Went down about 5 P.M. 



Tuesday, 12th April 1881. Beat the rocks from 



