CLOSE QUARTERS. 197 



right into my face. A trifling irregularity 

 in the ground had so far hidden the uncon- 

 scious animal from me in my prostrate posi- 

 tion, but Imat had had a full view of it ever 

 since I started on my crawl ; and knowing I 

 was well within range, and fearing some mis- 

 chance if I insisted on orettino; too close, had 

 almost incurred a fit in the struggle between 

 his desire to warn me of the chamois proxi- 

 mity and his fear of alarming game. But 

 when with a rush that chamois was on its 

 leo's and round the corner of a rock on which 

 my harmless bullet flattened, I felt glad that 

 I did not understand Svanetian. 



A second shot, at a longer range, again 

 wounded the chamois, and then followed the 

 most exciting chase I have ever had. I had 

 so few cartridges now left that I wanted to 

 save those I had as much as possible, and I 

 fully believed that my last shot would be 

 sufficient. But though Imat and I could 



