MY FIRST IBEX 29 



first one horn and then the other. At times 

 he would get up and walk sleepily a few 

 yards, then lie down again, like a dog, with 

 his head between his forefeet, and his 

 horns lying on either side of his back. 

 Little thought had he of danger, for were 

 not his two wives with him, and had they 

 ever failed to warn him during the last 

 fifty years ! and well they justified his con- 

 fidence, for during the six hours we lay 

 there waiting in the snow never once did 

 they relax their vigilance, but with heads 

 on one side carefully searched the ground 

 below them. 



We meanwhile (having arrived at about 

 ten) set up the telescope at them, and then 

 lay down, wrapped in our rugs and ate, 

 slept, and tried to keep warm on our snow 

 bed, while one man was kept constantly at 

 the glass to give warning if the animals 

 showed any signs of changing their position, 

 for all my men knew that our quarry would 

 not make a big move till three or four in 

 the afternoon. However, to me it was 



