A NIGHT IN THE OPEN 129 



game, hiding them from our straining sight. The 

 stars peep forth ; outlines become indistinct and 

 darkness envelops hill and valley, man and beast. 

 There is nothing for it but to go to roost for to-day. 



Just as the soldier, after the wear and tear of 

 battle, still holding his gun and ii. 4 readiness for a 

 sudden alarm, goes to rest, so do we now stretch our 

 weary limbs and lie down where we are. In complete 

 silence we prepare our camp, such as it is, on the 

 first dry rock we can find. I empty my thermos 

 bottle, wrap myself in my puschtin, and lie down at 

 once. But for a long time my eyes remain wide 

 open. 



Again and again in imagination I live through the 

 last few impressive, never-to-be-forgotten hours. I 

 see the white bucks climb down ; I see them stop 

 and gaze suspiciously round, sniffing up the wind. 

 1 watch them come nearer step by step, feel my 

 pulse quicken, and hear my heart beating to suffoca- 

 tion. My blood still courses quickly through my 

 veins at the thought of those magnificent creatures. 



And thus day by day do they wander up hill and 

 down dale, keeping the sun company in this wonderful 

 world of lonely isolation. Nothing but rocks meets 

 them on their daily sojourn, and only sunbeams bring 

 them a word of friendly greeting from afar. But 

 all the more brilliantly is their rocky table lighted 

 up by stars at night. 



I lie motionless on my stony mattress for fear of 



9 



