8 IBEX SHOOTING 



In an hour the whole scene had changed : 

 the sky was clear, and the kindly little stars 

 were smiling down upon us from a frosty 

 sky, while the moon seemed to promise 

 her light for the ascent, which she fixed at 

 two a.m. 



The wind had fallen, and on all sides 

 fires had sprung up, round which could be 

 seen the swarthy faces of the hillmen, as 

 they cooked their modest meals, cracking 

 many a merry jest, while their honest, 

 weather-beaten faces beamed in the light 

 of the huge fires ; and with the joyous pro- 

 spect of being back in their homes, amongst 

 their wives and children, for the Eed, their 

 Christmas. 



Later on the " hookah," or pipe, was 

 passed round, and we had a " sing-song," 

 which sounded very monotonous to me, as 

 I could detect no difference in any of the 

 tunes ; but we had some grand choruses 

 (if volume be anything), delivered from 

 the brawny chests of some thirty hill- 

 men. The evening broke up with much 



