380 CHAMOIS HUNTING. 



said Hans, as the chamois made a few uncertain steps. 

 The other was still standing on the same spot as before, 

 looking up quite bewildered at the thundering report, 

 which seemed to shake the very sides of the vast hollow, 

 and was still heard faintly in rumbling echoes. I aimed 

 steadily, and taking him rather high in the shoulder, 

 fired my second barrel. He made one step forward, and 

 then rolled off the ledge where he had been standing on 

 the loose stones below, and continued thus rolling, turn- 

 ing over and over for about two hundred yards. But 

 the other though wounded was still on the move, out 

 of sight immediately below me. I quickly reloaded, and 

 stole some paces lower to look over the brink. There I 

 saw the head of a chamois in listening attitude, and the 

 animal was evidently undecided whether to come on up 

 the rocks or to retreat below. The horns were thick and 

 high, and believing it was a buck I had not yet seen, 

 waited to let him advance, so as to get a better shot. 

 Meanwhile a yearling buck sprang along the rocks not 

 twenty paces from me, and stood and gazed for a moment 

 in great amaze at the immovable human figure it had 

 suddenly alighted on. But I did not fire, waiting for, 

 as I thought, the third prize. By going down the rocks 

 some paces I got sight of the chamois, whose head only 

 I had before seen, and quickly firing sent him rolling 

 over. "That's number three," I exclaimed exultingly 

 to Hans, as the animal fell ; and I began to look for the 

 one I had first shot at. But my companion, who from 

 the spot where he was standing could see better into the 

 depth than myself, told me I had but two ; my first and 

 third shot having been fired at the same animal. This 

 was rather a disappointment ; however it was a pleasant 

 sight to see the two chamois lying stretched out on the 

 slope before me. 



