TN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 197 



say. About half the winter days are bora clays, when 

 shooting is practically impossible. One of the 

 most comical sights I ever witnessed was the effect 

 of such a wind on my friend Miller, facile princejis 

 of local sportsmen, and a snipe. The bird was 

 anxious to go up wind, but literally could not, and 

 presented a stationary mark. This was all very 

 well, but it was exactly over Miller's head, and, try 

 as he would, he could not hold his gun up against 

 the blast. At last he did fire, and no wonder it 

 was a miss. I deeply deplored his untimely death 

 (in November, 1895), for he was without doubt 

 as good a sportsman as an amusing companion. 

 He had performed the feat of a right and left at all 

 local game, including bears ; and yet he, like all 

 others here, asserted that in this country it was 

 impossible to stalk chamois. In general informa- 

 tion he was much in advance of the average 

 Austrian officer. Not only was he familiar with the 

 empire from end to end, speaking every language 

 known in it, but he had resided some years in 

 Russia. 



But to return to the weather. As a rule, two or 

 three days' bora is followed by one perfect day, 

 and then comes the scirocco, warm and relaxing, 

 with heavy rain for another two days. So it is a 

 lucky week on which one can shoot twice. We 

 filled up the early year with snipe-shooting, duck- 

 shooting, and fox-shooting over beagles. For 



