MY FIRST IBEX 25 



firm touch which seemed just to decide 

 whether I went down a few thousand feet or 

 not. Lastly, with beaming and somewhat 

 stupid countenance, follows the " lunch 

 coolie," as he is called, one Chybra by 

 name. A real man of the mountains is he, 

 and as at home among them as the ibex 

 himself; and well he needs be, for he has 

 to follow as best he can with three blan- 

 kets and our lunch, together with three or 

 four pairs of grass shoes, slung over his 

 shoulders in a blanket, which crossing over 

 his chest and tied behind his back leaves 

 his hands free : the hatchet stuck in his 

 belt completes his picture. 



Four men from the village came as far as 

 yesterday's stream, over which they carried 

 us ; and then we continued up yesterday's 

 valley. 



After proceeding at leisure some four 

 miles, we were stopped by Lassoo, who went 

 on to reconnoitre ; we followed some two 

 hundred yards behind, advancing when he 

 did, and stopping when he sat down to search 



