50 SHORT STALKS 



profound distrust of express riiies. '■'■ Zu vid pulver''' 

 was always on his lips after some fatally bad shot on 

 my part. On a question of wind, or the proper line 

 of approach, he scouted all advice. Indeed he would 

 allow of no difference of opinion in his own depart- 

 ment. 



I think his success was mainly due to his patient, or 

 what sometimes seemed to me — when boilino; over with 

 ardour — his dawdling ways. " Sempre lentano " was his 

 tantalising answer to all my urgent suggestions of prompt 

 action ; for he talked a mixture of German and Italian as 

 well as a hybrid patois called Eomansli, which is supposed 

 to l)e debased Latin. I remember once findino- chamois 

 quite early in the day in a very good place. He had not 

 seen them, and kept mooning around all day at a low 

 level. Quite late we mounted, and of course found them 

 where I had indicated. I missed them, and my temper 

 was not improved l)y his sententious remark : " See what 

 a orood thino- it is to wait. You are sure to see them at 

 last." For all this I am bound to say his judgment was 

 generally correct. He had a great hulking son, who was 

 also an able hunter, but was even a o-ruffer and a rouoher 

 cub than his father. 



Another of my favourites was old Bernardo, a tall, 

 lantern -jawed, and clean-shaven native of Livigno, who, of 

 all the Italians I ever met, was the slow^est of speech and 

 the most preternaturally grave. I never could divest 

 myself of the idea that he was a Methodist preacher, and 

 this was borne out by the dark clothes which he habitu- 

 ally wore. He was inferior in skill to Spinas, but the 

 natives of this valley hunt but little, and leave it to the 



