IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. oOl 



traverse, I must confess the very idea of such a 

 thing " gives me the creeps," and besides the 

 desperate climbing, the dangers from falling stones 

 dislodged by the chamois, and even from the last 

 maddened rush back of the terrified animals, are 

 obvious. 



However, on this occasion I have an excuse 

 to offer for organizing a drive, for General Hoff- 

 meister (promoted since our bear-hunt to be a 

 lieutenant-field-marshal) had expressed a desire 

 of shooting a chamois ; and, although he is a 

 wonderfully active man for an " Excellency " with 

 sons of his own in the army, stalking amongst 

 the Velez cliffs was a little too much to expect of 

 him. My letter to him having suggested one 

 day's driving (two beats), I was rather horrified 

 when, the day after the completion of the annual 

 manoeuvres, an orderly arrived at my camp with 

 a letter to say that his Excellency would arrive 

 that evening, with two more officers, for three 

 days' driving. The only thing to be done was 

 hurriedly to make such arrangements as were 

 possible. 



Next morning by half-past eight I had my 

 guns in line for the first beat, which was to be 

 the only one that day. The position ran along 

 and up the gorge to the southward of the Mush- 

 room Eidge. For my own post I had selected 

 that which involved the most climbing, a long 



