CHAP. X A LONG WAIT 



noitre, and after prolonged examination of the various 

 groups, came to the conclusion that though no very- 

 good ibex were about, there were two with fair heads, at 

 which a shot was possible if we went up amongst the rocks. 

 So we started off, and after a lot of rough scrambling 

 and walking, through melting and very slippery snow, 

 reached a ledge beyond which many of the herd, including 

 the two shootable ibex, were. Further than this we 

 apparently could not get, as the rocks to our left looked 

 too steep to climb, and going up the ridge itself would 

 have involved showing ourselves. The animals were out 

 of range, so there seemed nothing to do but to wait till 

 they should see fit to come down and graze. This they 

 were certain to do by evening, we thought, as the grass 

 was all behind us, and in passing they were very likely 

 to give us a shot. 



In an hour or so, when it was beginning to get late, 

 and the ibex did not seem disposed to move, I suggested 

 trying the rocks to our left, which, though very hard 

 going, seemed to me possible. So we attacked them, 

 but it was pretty well as much as we could do to climb 

 up, as the rocks were very rotten and gave way under 

 our weight, and even in our hands when we gripped 

 them to pull ourselves up. But we managed it, and just 

 as we arrived at the top the herd made up its mind to 

 go for the grass, and began coming down fast. In the 

 hollow below us was a small rise, and as we lay fiat 

 watching, a number of ibex, including one of the males 

 we wanted, came down on to this rise from the rocks 

 beyond. As they did so one of the watchful females saw 

 us, and whistled, and the whole lot stopped and looked 



