280 IN THE LAND OF TIIE BORA. 



down and took off the spectacles, in which I 

 always shoot, and laid them beside me on the 

 grass. A ininnte later I heard the dog full cry 

 in the wood below, and as he only throws his 

 tongue when close on his game, I knew I must 

 look out. My spectacles ! Nowhere could I find 

 them. The yapping increased ; in vain I felt and 

 looked at every tuft of grass and heather. At 

 last, with a rattle, a chamois passed not a hundred 

 yards away. I only saw his back, for where was 

 the good of standing up without spectacles ? 

 Then, of course, I found them — not a foot from 

 me ; indeed, they were touching my knee. The 

 dog having gone off in pursuit, I turned again to 

 look for the first chamois, and was surprised to 

 see a herd of six, a couple of hundred feet lower 

 down, going along a rock wall with splendid 

 bounds. The way they were going would enable 

 me to cut them off; but the old vorgeiss* evidently 

 realized this, for presently they turned back, and 

 for half an hour or more I watched them moving 

 and feeding unconcernedly on the side of the 

 peak. Meanwhile, the dog being still absent, I 

 occupied myself in an unavailing search for my 

 buck of the evening before. At last the dog 

 returned, and, although I had lost sight of the 

 chamois, I decided to try the stalk, as I had a 

 double chance there. I thought the single one 

 * Leading doe, who directs the movements of the herd. 



