222 SHORT STALKS 



and while so engaged, a shout from one of my companions 

 called me to look at a fresh track he had found. There 

 was no mistake about it. It was that of a red deer, but 

 half as large again as any stag's slot which I had ever 

 seen. This was indeed a find upon which we had not 

 reckoned, for few travellers have had the luck even to sec 

 the bio- red stao- of Asia Minor. 



But duty before pleasure. I had come here for ibex, 

 and must first ascertain if there were any on the mountain. 

 That afternoon was devoted to a very careful search with 

 the telescope of the upper part of the mountain, but we 

 saw nothing, and from this and the complete absence of 

 tracks we soon came to the conclusion that they were a 

 myth. By the time I had satisfied myself on this point 

 there was only an hour of daylight left, but I hurried down 

 to a point which commanded a wide extent of the forest. 

 Here I had scarcely oj^ened my glass before I made out a 

 stag and a hind feeding at the bottom of the valley below 

 us. Celestin was greatly excited, having never seen any 

 game larger than chamois and certain other rock-ski})pers 

 which he had pursued in my company. Everything seemed 

 to favour the stalk. We got quickly down under the 

 shelter of trees, and had arrived within three hundred yards 

 when the hind started. The ftxct was, the wind, which had 

 been blowing up the valleys all day, at sunset changed its 

 direction. The stag had not yet caught the taint, and 

 stood a while. I could see that he was large in the body, 

 but the lio'lit was too dim to make out his head. I tried 

 a despairing shot, but the distance was too great and 1 

 could scarcely see the 1)ead. It was a bad chance and, 

 alas ! I never had the luck to ixct a better. Three times 



