332 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



tains with the thick oak-woods of their valleys, and on 

 the plain the herds of the Tribes, while before him he 

 looked over "The City of Palm-trees," Jericho, and 

 away "unto the great sea toward the going down of 

 the sun :" and then the remembrance that he was 

 gazing on that earth for the last time ! But, above 

 all, how in that mountain solitude must he have felt 

 his loneliness ! There is to me something quite over- 

 whelming in the thought of going up unto a moun- 

 tain to die. It is an almost superhuman act, worthy 

 indeed of a Prophet, of one " whom the Lord knew 

 face to face ;" but is not for the men of this gene- 

 ration. 



I sat here with my hand on my rifle for an hour 

 and a half ; but the minutes did not pass laggingly : 

 I was all attention, and eye and ear were watching 

 for the slightest circumstance that might betoken the 

 approach of a chamois. Moreover I would every now 

 and then cast a look at the world at my feet, and let 

 the grandeur and the loveliness fill my heart. Fancy 

 besides was busily at work, as is ever the case with 

 the hunter when awaiting the approach of game. At 

 such times, what pleasant visions pass before his brain ; 

 what delicious hopes that may be realized ! The buck 

 I was expecting was not only a good one, but a well 

 known one too. He had been pursued by several, 

 and all had failed to obtain the prize. Many were the 

 shots that had been fired after him, but they all had 

 missed. He had become notorious by his escapes : 

 he was quite an historical personage. And should 



