IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 327 



covert is a hound or not. Duran had misunder- 

 stood his instructions, and the beat had failed. 

 Old Didic cast up the gorge for half an hour, 

 but with no better result. 



After this we had about an hour's climb 

 along the side of the main bill, and villainous 

 going it was. Finally, we emerged at the be- 

 ginning of an extraordinary ridge which runs out 

 for much over a mile from the parent hill, though 

 nowhere three yards wide. Here Didic made 

 a mistake, as it turned out, for he kept the 

 hounds too long with us. At last he sent Duran 

 down to the brook below on the one side. The 

 ridge we were on is excellently adapted for shoot- 

 ing, having only occasional pine trees on it, of 

 which almost every one was mutilated by fire 

 and axe. This wood is the principal article of 

 export from Glavaticevo, and no wonder, as it 

 sells in Mostar for about a penny a pound for 

 fire-lighting purposes. One tree we passed had 

 recently been struck by lightning, which had 

 scored the trunk from top to butt in a perfectly 

 regular spiral. I believe it is rare for resinous 

 trees to be struck. We sat down at what the 

 old man said was a good pass. It certainly 

 looked like one, but Didic did not seem to think 

 precautions necessary, as he cracked walnuts and 

 smoked a cigarette. 



After a bit we moved on, but had not gone 



