ILL-LUCK. 227 



came fvoni each of them. Dear me ! how well 

 my wild goat chase might have a successful 

 end here if only I could say that bullet struck 

 three inches lower. Unluckily it did not, and 

 the beast, tossing its head m surprise, trotted 

 a few yards along the ledge and stood at gaze. 

 Again 1 fired, this time getting even 

 closer than before, so said my men, but still 

 the beast was untouched ; and now, thoroughly 

 roused to the danger of his position, was 

 going wildly straight up the wall-like face of 

 the cliff. So steep was the road he chose that 

 from where we were, we had the same view of 

 his back that you have of a fly's as he crawls 

 up the window pane. I sent two more bullets 

 after him, in the vain hope of a lucky shot 

 securing for me the coveted head even now ; 

 but thou2:h one fell so near him as almost to 

 frighten him into a false step, he got away un- 

 touched. I had still four cartridges left and 

 some two or three hours of daylight, so my 

 Q 2 



