358 IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 



rifle-shot, and I, alas ! have never even claimed 

 to be classed as second-rate. 



This was my last day of chamois-shooting over 

 hounds — a form of sport which I began by despis- 

 ing and ended by liking, as so often happens. At 

 all events, it has several advantages over driving, 

 the principal one of which is that the old bucks, 

 which lie close and break back through beaters, 

 are the very ones with which hounds get away 

 on good terms. More chamois are killed in this 

 way in the Herzegovina than in any other, and I 

 consider it an excellent method when there are 

 no precipices in the beat, for the antelopes invari- 

 ably resort to these, and then defy both hounds 

 and rifles. A chamois found well away from the 

 mountains, as these were, would give a grand 

 run to a pack of hounds, but there would be very 

 few of the field up at the finish ! 



So ended the chamois-shooting. The bears 

 (one of which I had received a message from 

 Umolanj, six or seven hours away, to come and 

 kill, as he had been destroying the people's cattle 

 for six years) had all gone into winter quarters, 

 and nothing remained to be shot but boar and 

 roe. One day at these latter is so like another, 

 that I think a description of one, perhaps the 

 pleasantest I had at Glavaticevo, may fairly stand 

 for all. 



