TWO CHAMOIS HUNTS 89 



All honour to his pluck — but this time it 

 was in vain. He did not let himself down by 

 the rope, but made a kind of lassoo with it, 

 what our sailors call a " running eye " and we 

 call a noose. In our innocence we imagine 

 that the buck must be dead. We can see 

 clearly how the huntsman pulls; we see the 

 rope grow taut, and now, sure enough, appears 

 the head of the buck. The noose is round his 

 horns. But this pleasant mode of conveyance 

 does not last long. Suddenly the animal begins 

 to swing backwards and forwards. Then it 

 strikes out lustily with its hoofs. Mucksel 

 begins to curse. And before I can realize 

 what is happening there goes my buck in full 

 flight along the rocky wall. 



It was not only high time but the highest 

 time to shoot, so sighting at 250 I sent an S. 

 bullet after him. He springs high into the air 

 and pitches forwards. Quicker and quicker 

 he rolls towards the valley, until he lies motion- 

 less far below. We hurry along, wondering 

 anxiously whether he has injured his horns 

 in his death fall. At last we reach him and 



