FAIRLY IN THE WILDS 127 



down the cliff, and there, sure enough, was 

 my first ibex, in the last throes of death, 

 with his hind feet dug in the ground, kneel- 

 ing up against the hill, with his forehead on 

 the snow. As I looked, a shiver passed 

 over him, his hind legs bent more and more, 

 and the next second he had rolled over 

 slowly, then, gathering way, his pace got 

 faster and faster, his body lurched and 

 bounded down the hill, and at last he pitched 

 clear over a ledge, shooting out into space, 

 all legs and horns, an object which made 

 my hair stand on end, and formed the sub- 

 ject of nightmares for months afterwards. 

 " What infernal luck," hissed Lassoo, " his 

 horns will be smashed to bits." We then 

 left everything, and crawled carefully down 

 to where our game had vanished from sight, 

 hoping to locate his carcase, as Lassoo said 

 that he had probably fallen down nearly to 

 our camp. At first we could see no signs of 

 him, but suddenly discovered his body about 

 a hundred feet off, jammed between two 

 rocks, which had, mercifully for us, caught 



