146 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



made one out as the bleating grew less fre- 

 quent, and the stones had almost ceased to 

 rattle. Followmg his directions I, too, made 

 out what seemed like the grey ghosts of two 

 goats rapidly disappearing into the clouds on 

 the other side ; and, obeying his directions, 

 though I could not hope to hit, I fired right 

 and left at what he afterwards told me were 

 two young kids, the last of the herd, slowly 

 following their impatient dam into the safer 

 heights. 



I suppose I ought to have felt disgusted 

 at my night's fruitless watch, but I am afraid 

 I didn't, forgiving myself even for my miss, 

 and watching the waves of mist, driven like 

 white smoke through the green and grey 

 rocks, with a pleasure that the consideration 

 of an unnecessarily prolonged stay in our nest 

 by no means destroyed. At length it cleared 

 sufficiently for us to find our way down to 



