FURTHER ILL-LUCK. 59 



the stones, we satisfied ourselves that our fire 

 had not been seen, the tur were still at rest 

 on their ledge. 



After half an hour's watching, there 

 seemed to be a stir amongst the herd ; one by 

 one they got on to their feet ; surely now 

 they were coming our way. But Simon, who 

 knew more of tur than I did, did not like the 

 look of things, and Simon was right ; for in 

 another minute, after all staring down on to 

 the glacier below, up went their heads, and 

 away they went higher and higher to the 

 very top of the ridge, and so over to safer 

 resting-places out of our sight and reach. 

 We could not explain their conduct, but we 

 could curse our luck, and as we clambered 

 down mto the valley of the glacier we did so 

 heartily. 



To see a Ions; vio-il such as ours robbed of 

 its reward so unexpectedly is exasperating in 

 the extreme. Moreover, we had waited so 



