26 IBEX SHOOTING 



with the telescope each valley as it opened 

 up to the right. See with what infinite pains 

 he scans each valley, sitting in the least 

 exposed place he can find, with his stick 

 stuck firmly into the snow before him, while 

 his left hand grasps the stick and the far end 

 of the telescope, and his right holds the 

 eye-piece of the glass steady to the eye, 

 thanks to the support of his right knee and 

 elbow. Nothing in that valley. On he 

 goes, taking advantage of all cover, and 

 never exposing himself; then a careful 

 search of the next one ; and on again. We 

 had been advancing in this way for perhaps 

 a mile, Lassoo was sitting in his usual 

 position, and we were beginning to get a 

 bit doubtful, when suddenly he brought 

 down the glass, crawled to the side of our 

 valley, and sitting down under the cover of 

 an overhanging rock, beckoned to us to 

 come to him carefully. On our arrival, 

 and in answer to my question, " What's 

 up?" he replied, " I've seen him," while 

 his face shone with anticipation and relief. 



