SEVENTH DAY. 117 
as they could not keep up with these untiring Slavonian 
animals, while the reins remained tied to the box; so that 
these intelligent ponies followed the road so familiar to them 
entirely without guidance, and on reaching the crest of the 
hill stood still and waited for their drivers to come up. 
Sometimes we saw vultures and various eagles circling 
high up, and I fired a ball at a Sea-Hagle which flew past 
within about two hundred yards. The bullet must have 
almost grazed the great bird, for it gave a turn over, and my 
companion congratulated me with joyful exclamations on my 
successful shot; however, it rose again and flew on un- 
injured. In the same way I also missed a Cinereous Vulture. 
During the last mile the road was incredibly steep, and I 
should never have imagined that one could get up such hills 
with a vehicle ; there was also a good chance of rolling pretty 
far down into a valley, either to the right or left, if matters 
went wrong. 
When we had got on to the ridge we had a wonderful view, 
in various directions, over the wide preserves of woods, 
mountains, and lonely glens. Cinereous Vultures were sweep- 
ing mute and noiseless over the trees below us, and seen from 
above this bird looks even much grander than when soaring 
overhead. 
Our road now led us along the very narrow and perfectly 
flat crest of the mountain, where, after proceeding a few 
hundred yards, we halted, as the forester said that we were 
quite close to the first Cinereous Vulture’s nest. At Count 
Chotek’s suggestion, I slung my rifle on my shoulder and 
gave my gun to the forester, as the Cinereous Vulture was 
said to be so tough that shot had no effect whatever on its 
thick doublet of feathers, and my only chance of succeeding 
would be with ball. 
I must confess that my heart beat pretty fast as I ascended 
a very steep slope to the first nest of this, the largest of our 
