STALKING THE BIG-HOltN. 145 



have become ingrafted in my memory. However, if will- 

 ing to bear fatigue and exposure, the person desirous of 

 adding them to the list of game that has fallen to his rifle 

 can easily do so by following the advice I am about to give. 

 Being satisfied, from tracks and other evidences, that they 

 frequent a neighborhood, endeavor to discover by their 

 trail from what portion of the mountain sides they descend 

 into the valley to make their nocturnal foray. This is not 

 difficult to find out, for this game always travels in single 

 file, % and generally through the same passes ; their path thus 

 is as easily distinguishable as that of sheep over heather- 

 clad hills. Hours before break of day for many may be 

 the weary miles of climbing before you make a detour to 

 leeward, so as not to give the quarry your wind push silent- 

 ly for the most elevated ridges. If you possess a keen eye 

 for locality and tracking, you will find little trouble in dis- 

 covering where the game you seek most frequently resort. 

 On this point being satisfied, ensconse yourself in some 

 sheltered nook and wait for day, for the sun will have com- 

 menced to tint with gold the eastern sides of the hills ere 

 the prey you seek will reach, from the feeding-grounds be- 

 low, the elevation of your position. 



It is strange these children of the mountain only dread 

 danger from beneath : thus it is that to successfully hunt 

 them you must ascend into the heights they would fly for 

 if alarmed ; to follow them from beneath would simply be 

 needless waste of time; to stalk them from above almost 

 certain, to produce success. At length the desired-for time 

 is come : silently and well secreted, search with keen eye 

 every ridge that will command a view of the valleys be- 

 neath. 



Your careful survey of the country is at length reward- 

 ed, for far beneath you, so far off that their outline it is 

 almost impossible to define, you perceive a family party, 



7 



