4 SHORT STALKS 



numerous army of Aiiglo-iVmerican cowboys who return 

 to Bond Street and Leicestershire when the autumn 

 " round-up " is over. After Ijeing clothed and in his right 

 mind for two months, his soul hungered for scalps and the 

 war-path. I was due back within six weeks to receive one 

 of Her Majesty's judges at Assizes. So there should be no 

 avoidable delays — and of course delays occurred, perverse 

 and irritating. 



Instead of following my own instincts as to route, I 

 took advice — always a mistaken thing to do — and thereby 

 lost, for hunting purposes, three whole days. But, as 

 every expedition has its share of bad luck, perhaps it was 

 as Avell to take ours in this way. Our intention was to be 

 landed at a small harbour within easy reach of the range 

 where we desired to hunt ; but when, the morning after 

 leavinof Leo'horu, we Q;ot amono- the islands in the Straits 

 of Bonifacio, the Tramontana wind blew so furiously that 

 it became certain that no landing could be effected between 

 the sheltered harbour of Terranova, at the northern end of 

 the island, and that of Caoliari at the other extremitv. 

 Uur plan of campaign had to be changed at an hour's 

 notice, and a landing effected at Terranova, many weary 

 leao'ues from our huntino- around. Not likino- the look of 

 the trattoria, where we supped, we got the stationmaster 

 to lend us an empty room in his station. Here we spread 

 our mattresses and waited for the morning train. Heavens 1 

 how the wind hissed all night ! It was some consolation 

 that no landing would have been possible on the open coast. 



The early train took us through a In'oken rocky 

 country, the little ravines covered with cork and arbutus. 

 It wouhl be ])icturesc|ue if it were not marred by numerous 



