RECOLLECTIONS OF CHAMOIS HUNTING r.'.i 



tlie c-liir Itelow us. We climbed cautiously down, peering 

 alidut. liut could sec notliiug till we got nearly to the 

 bottoui, where we came upon them lying right below us. 



(1 had (he shot, but. unfortunately, for some reason 



which 1 cannot rememl)er, had Spinas's rifle instead of his 

 own. and missed clean. These native wea])ons arc mostly 

 furnished with a hair trigger, which is very puzzling to 

 any one who has not practised with it. They came right 

 up [)ast us, and gave me a good running shot which I 

 ouuht to have done somethino- with. Returnino- we ao'ain 

 made out (Uir herd of ten on the top of a hill, and a single 

 one in another du'eclion. The herd lieini'- on the best 

 stalkinof o-round, we went for them. The stalk was a 

 simple one, and wc arrived within a hundred yards of 

 them. To creep forward into position 1 had to show 

 myself on the sky-line, wdiich should always be aNoided if" 

 possible. The rorgeiss, or doe sentinel, instantly saw me, 

 and twisted sharp round to have a better look. A buck, 

 which la\- neaivr. stood up, but the next instant he sprang 

 into the air and fell dead. ^ly second shot, as the}- ran, 

 glanced from a rock with a "ping" just in fi-ont of the 

 nose of one of them, and 1 lienid it buzz across the valley; 

 but T "-ot in another cartrido-e just in time foi- ;in oullier 

 who had been feeding behind the ridge. He gallo})ed up. 

 stood for a moment, giving me a capital chance, so that I 

 dropped him de;i<l almost on ihc back' ofllie first. in the 



meanwhile K had also Ikk.I a good ehain'cand knocked 



over a chamois with a bullet throuu;h its bod\- ; but even 

 a ■450 express is not always euou'jh. and this one managed 

 to recover itself sufficiently to reach coveri. and the dark- 

 ness comimj on. it was lost. 



