IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 273 



were, but only six of them, mostly lying on the 

 snow, and all unsuspicious of my presence. They 

 were, however, too far for my weapon, say three 

 hundred yards off. But below me was another 

 rock-ledge which must be a good deal nearer. 

 I crawled back to the dog, and retired cautiously 

 a hundred yards or so. There I left my gun, and 

 started back, for the second time that day, for my 

 rucksack. When I had got it I returned; and 

 this time I was careful to tie the dog w T ell. I had 

 not long begun the crawl downwards, when I heard 

 some stones rattle in front of me, and concluded 

 the herd were coming back. Here again my 

 geography was at fault ; not even a chamois could 

 come up there, and the stone was probably dis- 

 lodged by the snow. After sitting expectant a 

 quarter of an hour, I decided to advance again ; 

 and, to make a long story short, after a lot of 

 hands-and-knees w T ork, and a bad fright at a stone 

 which looked just like a chamois staring at me, I 

 reached the spot whence they should have been in 

 view. Gone ! I was not much frightened, though, 

 for the broad snowfield to my right and front was 

 spread out like a map before me. I continued 

 the crawl, and presently picked them up. They 

 had gone deeper, and were consequently nearer me. 

 Now I am on the very verge of the cliff. Two 

 are coming towards me, but they look small. 

 The third one from me is bigger and darker — 



