■RErOLLEr'TIOXS OF CHAMOIS HUNTING 39 



constaiiil) le-siLirvcycd, and the position of the game 

 ascertained afresh, so that halts are frequent. Personally, 

 T find tlie yielding Ijoo-s of Sweden, or even the lono- 

 heather of Scotland much more trying to the wind ;ind 

 muscles. 



'riic sliifting scenes of Alpine peaks, forests, and glaciers 

 form another inspirinij; clement which is totally wanting, 

 sav in the leaden-coloured slopes and peat bogs of a Scotch 

 deer forest. ]S'i) doubt Scotch deer stalking has some of 

 these charms, or had them in the days of St. John and 

 Scrope, but those seven -strand fences have taken the 

 flavour out of it. It seems a work of supererogation to 

 circumvent an animal which you have already circum- 

 scribed with an impassable wire enclosure. 



Then there is the real skill recjuifcd to hit so small an 

 animal. The vital part (»f a diamois is scarcely larger 

 than this book. That may seem to the reader a sufhcient 

 mark, but when it is exactly the same misty colour as its 

 background, and you know it is about to run away, 1 can 

 assure him that it is renuirkaljly easy to miss. It is no 

 consolation when xou heai- the ex(daniation at your elbow, 

 *' G-r-r-r-r/f uhei\" and xour hunter shows with his lin^vr 

 and thumb liow \-ou wanted only hall' an indi to make an 

 excellent shot. 'J'liere are some peo})le who ne\er ndss. 1 

 have encountered a few. and read the books of many. 1 

 am always sorry for them. It must be so monotonous. 

 I once met an old sportsman returning from stalking, after 

 missinu- a stac;. He assured me that he had a private 

 enemv who must have tampered wiili tlie sights of his 

 riHe. That is al)0Ut the tallest excuse I ever heard, but in 

 chamois huntin- a man must be bolder even than that to 



