210 WHY THE FLOCK MOVED. 



the sharp edges of the rocks. The men were 

 left to strip off the skin, and we returned 

 to Campbell, not a little elated at having 

 bagged an old male ibex. 



We now discovered the cause of the flock 

 moving off in the first instance when they 

 were apparently undisturbed. Campbell, 

 wanting a cheeroot to wile away the time 

 whilst we were stalking the flock, sent a 

 fool of a fellow who was with him to some 

 of the men for a light ; returning, he chose 

 to make a short cut across some snow, and 

 was at once seen by the ibex. 



Much snow had fallen, and we were forced 

 to encamp upon a bitterly cold spot very 

 high up, where, however, there was fortu- 

 nately an abundance of wood. 



The next day, having fixed upon the place 

 to which the camp was to be moved, Wilson 

 and Campbell crossed the ridge by the 

 regular sheep-track, which was covered with 

 snow and nearly impassable ; I took the 

 chance of finding ibex lower down amongst 

 the rocks above the river. I found the 



