42 SAVAGE SVANETIA. 



distinct as if it had been fired not many 

 hundred yards from where we stood. ' Thank 

 goodness, Frank is amongst them,' I muttered, 

 ' I wish I was with him.' Again and again 

 the rifle woke the echoes until I began to 

 think the camp must have been attacked. 

 When at last the shooting ceased Simon and 

 I jumped up and recommenced our climb as 

 if we had only just started. The others were 

 having sport — our turn could not be far 

 distant. 



About nine our turn came. We were 

 peeping over a ridge into the gorge beneath 

 when Simon's quick eye caught sight of a 

 herd crossing a moraine below us. One by 

 one they came upon the scene, following each 

 other slowly in our direction, three and 

 twenty of them in all. The sight of them, 

 after all my weary climbs and vigils, made 

 me more shaky than I ever remember to have 

 felt before, and I think I had then for the 



