IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 281 



was lying in a patch of stunted beech high up, 

 and the herd I knew must be somewhere there. 

 An hour's climb up the lee side of the Grat 

 brought me to the desired level. In the sun 

 and out of the wind the heat was very great ; 

 so I was glad to sit down to eat my lunch, and 

 mature my plan of action. I had seen the chamois 

 on the south side of the peak, and the wind was 

 blowing freshly from them to me. But I calcu- 

 lated they would keep a sharp look-out that way, 

 and decided to try the other side, although I was 

 not sure if I could get round. It was a long and 

 arduous climb, and finally ended in a place I did 

 not like at all, for the cliff was some hundreds 

 of feet sheer. I distinctly funked it, but could 

 find no other way, so at last committed myself 

 to a very jumpy chamois track along a fault of 

 the rock, and partly on all fours — a hateful position, 

 as it obliges one to look down — I got safety to the 

 shoulder of the peak. Securing the dog, I crept 

 stealthily forwards, but, alas ! only to catch sight 

 of a chamois to leeward, and directly afterwards 

 of three more making off through the beeches. 

 Still hoping for the single one, I went back and 

 loosed the dog, who, after following the herd some 

 way, tried the whole ground in vain. The wily 

 beast had evidently gone clean off at first ; and 

 as for the others, all these hours' work had been 

 wasted by a dozen 3 T ards. 



