THE LESGHIAN MOUNTAINS. 



hopes were doomed to disappointment. The next 

 I saw of those goats they were going like mad 

 things down the mountain-side a quarter of a mile 

 off. Several times we saw tracks of bears, and 

 once I heard one scrambling away, within shot of 

 me probably, but I could not catch sight of him 

 in time amongst the fir-trees. Another time we 

 came upon a steep ascent, from the top of which a 

 shower of small stones apprised us of the flight of 

 three tur ; but though my men caught a glimpse of 

 them, they were too far off even had I seen them, 

 which I did not. My man Ivan had a long shot 

 at a chamois and missed him, so that, after a hard 

 day's climbing, we reached the bothy empty- 

 handed. 



Once fairly amongst the snow and ice on the 

 bare rocks, cutting steps for our ascent, and climbing 

 rather with our hands than with our feet, I did 

 not so much mind it ; though running across a 

 rattling moraine as it shifted from under us 

 was a new and startling experience to me. The 

 almost perpendicular grass slopes which we had to 

 cross before getting clear of the forest were the 

 greatest trials we had. Under the guidance of 

 Adolphe Folliguet, of Chamounix, I have since 

 tried mountaineering in Switzerland, after the tour- 

 ists have all returned, and a few chamois may be 

 Been not further from Chamounix than the Aiguille 

 Dru ; but though he does not choose the easiest 



