IBEK-SHOOTING IN SPAIN. 141 



Such things, however, had but a platonic interest for 

 men weary, drenched and travel-worn : and a terrible 

 shock remained in store, when, upon a low paneless barn, 

 we deciphered, in hieroglyphic symbols, the word ponada. 

 At the moment of our ol)serving the ill-boding sign, a pig 

 was in the act of entering the portals. 



Nothing, however, remained but to make the best of it. 

 The cold was intense, and in the deluge of rain and sleet 

 outside, it was impossible to erect our tent, even had 

 a level site existed. We had with us, however, on this 

 campaign, a genius, and with magic skill Vicente trans- 

 formed the uncouth den : order replaced chaos : our 

 bedsteads were erected, basins, towels, soap, even chairs 

 and a table appeared as by legerdemain : while a savoury 

 oUa with two brace of quarter-pound trout from the burn 

 below, and a stoup of good red wine, stood before us. 



We soon had the local hunters collected around us, all 

 old friends — Magdaleno, the crack shot of the sierra, 

 Claudio, Juanito, and little Eamon : but their reports were 

 not encouraging.* The snow on the heights was still 

 impassable : Almanzor and the Lagunas de Gredos were 

 inaccessible, and these regions formed, we knew, the madre 

 — the true home of the ibex. The system of the ojeo, or 

 mountain-drive, was only practicable as yet (May) on three 

 or four limited areas of the sierra : but there also remained 

 open to us the resource of stalking the ibex. Of this sport 

 we will speak later ; but we decided at first to adojDt the 

 plan of monteria, or big beats. 



The first day's hatida embraced a huge natural amphi- 

 theatre of rock, seven or eight miles in circuit, as roughly 

 depicted opposite. Our men had left before dawn to gain 

 the furthest flank, and we followed soon after, to climb out 

 to the peaks directly above. At first we ascended on little 

 shaggy mules, without saddle, stirrups, or bridle — only a 

 single cord to the nose-halter and a padded roller to sit on. 

 The upward route was as follows : one day will serve to 

 describe all. On the lower slopes (3,000 to 4,000 feet), 



* A previous expedition in Gredos had proved entirely blank, not 

 an ibex being secured in a fortnight's shooting. 



