160 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



the summit of the mountain, leaving the ridge unscathed. 

 In this clam three chamois were feeding : they had not 

 yet perceived us. I cocked my rifle and stole forwards, 

 while Xavier watched behind. They were moving along 

 one of those narrow ledges, on the face of the rock 

 formed by the projecting strata, and as I advanced some 

 acute sense told them danger was near, for they lifted 

 their heads and listened. One began to retreat; I fired, 

 and saw the ball had told. The others sprang forward, 

 but a second shot brought another to a stand. Neither 

 fell at once, but both were disabled : each one went some 

 distance along a ledge of rocks, choosing, as they always 

 do when wounded, the most inaccessible places. 



I wanted to go down along the edge of the clam and, 

 firing across it, finish at once the two wounded animals ; 

 but this Xavier opposed. 



" No," said he, " leave them for awhile : it is much 

 better. They are both in a bad condition, and by leaving 

 them undisturbed they will get much worse. They won't 

 go away from the spot, and perhaps presently we shall 

 find them dead. If you go after them now, they will 

 make every effort to get off, and as we have no dog with 

 us it might not be an easy matter to track them through 

 the latschen." 



" By getting down yonder," I replied, " I might cer- 

 tainly be able to have a shot and finish them at once ; 

 true it is far, but I would sit down to take a steady aim. 

 As to hitting them, I am quite sure about that." 



" 'Tis further than you think," he replied ; " besides 

 if we leave them at once we can go after the others. 

 These three are not the chamois we saw first." 



" But they will have heard the shots, and are no doubt 

 off by this time." 



" No, they won't have heard them, for they are over 



