138 IBEX SHOOTING 



got into him at the moment, for he ran 

 nearly half a mile without stopping/' 



We then turned in under our various 

 rocks. On this occasion I had a very 

 comfortable one, small it is true, but hang- 

 ing well over, almost to the ground, and 

 long enough to provide perfect shelter, 

 though I had to crawl to get under it, and 

 could not sit up when there. I was soon 

 fast asleep and pursuing ibex in my dreams ; 

 not on the ordinary methods, but on that 

 of the snow leopard, as Lassoo had de- 

 scribed it. Now I crawled, lay in wait, 

 and crawled again ; now I neared my prey, 

 which was expecting me from below ; now 

 I prepared to spring, and bury my fangs in 

 his throat; suddenly the ibex looked full 

 at me, and instead of being petrified with 

 terror, as he ought to have been, to my 

 horror advanced steadily towards me, and 

 was upon me with one wild bound. How 

 his sharp toes dug into my back ! I seized 

 him by the neck and held him with ease, 

 while he bleated gently and I awoke, 



