FAIRLY IN THE WILDS 121 



instead of grazing about, as is their wont, 

 they were all four standing on separate 

 rocks, gazing downwards. Presently one 

 made a dash and a bound on to another 

 rock. Such a bound ! Why even with the 

 glasses at two miles, it looked tremendous. 

 Then another dropped from his ledge, and 

 was presently silhouetted on another crag. 

 This sort of thing continued the whole 

 day. No rest in the middle of the day. 

 There they stood, and looked, and looked, 

 straining to detect their unseen enemy. 

 " How does a leopard ever get them ? " I 

 asked. "Just stalks them fair and square, 

 and then seizes them : if he can't get them 

 in one day, he goes on till he can. I've 

 seen young ones that have been killed by 

 a leopard, but never an old male. I don't 

 think they often get him." 



Towards evening the poor ibex evidently 

 had had enough of this, or else they had 

 located their enemy, for they suddenly left 

 their post, and came as hard as they could 

 pelt right away to the precipitous and in- 



