8 SHORT STALKS 



a jovial meal. The jam took tlie priest's fancy immensely, 

 and his conversation was confined to blessings on that 

 condiment and curses on Garibaldi, whom he seemed to 

 think still a militant enemy of the Church. One of the 

 bottles was broken and the olass scattered amono- the 

 contents, and we told the priest it was " molto pericoloso " 

 for him to eat it, but I fancy he elected to chance it after 

 we had left. In the room where we slept were the first 

 signs which we had seen of the caccia f/rossa for which 

 we were enduring so much — skins of boar, moufion, red 

 and fallow deer. It is not correct in Sardinia to offer any 

 payment for such casual hospitality, but a little keepsake 

 to the signorina, who waits in the background with curious 

 eyes, is taken in good part. 



In the morning we resumed our journey on the frozen 

 road, and passed through some grand ilex woods — alas ! 

 rapidly disappearing before the charcoal-burner. Once in 

 the snow we found tracks of moufion, or were they tame 

 pigs ? I am not sure, but they served the purpose of 

 raising our spirits. The horses, which are small, but well- 

 bred and wiry, did their work well, and in due course we 

 reached the little town which was to be the base of our 

 operations. It is piled on the steep side of the mountain, 

 facing a lovely view of purple plain and distant sea. We 

 were greeted l)y the kind-hearted sportsman who is famil- 

 iarly known in these parts as Signor Carlo. Blessings on 

 his head for the good things he show'cred on us, not only 

 then and there, but during the whole time we were in the 

 mountains ! What bread, short in the grain, white and 

 tender ! what succulent kids, what honey, more divinely 

 fiavoured than that of Hymettus ; and above all, what 



