io IBEX SHOOTING 



awoke me to a couple of boiled eggs, thick 

 bread and butter, a blue iron teapot, a blue 

 iron teacup with white enamel lining, and 

 an iron milk-jug to match. 



It was a lovely night, cold and frosty, 

 with a young moon, and a light night 

 breeze ; five minutes later the plate and 

 teapot were empty, my faithful briar was 

 alight, and I was into my second pair of 

 knickerbockers (I had slept in my clothes) 

 and a thick cardigan waistcoat, for there is 

 always a bitter, icy wind on the top of a 

 pass. Everyone else was ready, and within 

 a quarter of an hour of being called we 

 were all in full swing up the hill. 



For some three hours we plodded steadily 

 up the hard snow, now and then having to 

 cut ourselves footholds in the steeper places. 



Presently the light of the coming day 

 dawned faintly as the moon sank behind 

 the hills ; the wind, growing sharper as we 

 neared the top of the pass, seemed fairly to 

 cut through our clothes, while a fine scud 

 blew in our faces from off the crisp surface 



