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brushwood, he lazily reclines during the solar heat, beside some fern-clad stone, and leisurely turns the cud until the cool 
breezes of eventide once more invite him from his snug retreat. 
Searcely has the day broke, ere his enemy the hunter, dismounting from a ragged pony, and placing the radely patched 
bridle in the hand of a naked attendant, brings a heavy rifle to the trail, and followed at the distance of a few paces by a 
single savage, prepares to ascend the outskirts of that huge pile of mountains which heaye up their shadowy crests around. 
Those towering peaks in the distance, are faint almost as the sky they seem to emulate; but after toiling some time up the 
first acclivity, he has gained one of the lower steppes of table land, along which he shapes his silent course, alternately 
castiug a keen glance on every side, and scrutinizing the moist ground, as a book whose pages can reveal the history he seeks 
to learn. A lone valley stretching away beneath him, discloses at its nearest extremity the white canvas tops of the waggons 
that he has just quitted, standing ont in bold relief against a dark background of trees, before which ascends towards the 
clear firmament, a column of grey smoke. The yerdant meadows upon which he thus looks down like the eagle from her 
eyrie, are gracefully sprinkled over with yellow clumps of thorny tmimosas and evergreen olives; while through their mazes, like 
some monstrous mythological dragon, winds the tortuous river,—now deriving its colour from the minute leaves of the dishevel- 
led willows that overhang the flood, and now emerging at a right angle into silvery or rainbow brightness. Liberated by 
the hills, the vale occasionally spreads away to a considerable breadth, and is then embellished with scattered herds of various 
wild animals, pastaring in undisturbed quietude, and adding life and beauty to the lonely landseape;— again contracting, it is 
straightened betwixt yon wooded heights which frown on either side —ridge surmounting ridge, and summit rising above 
summit, until at last the gradually converging range—steep and sterile—has shut in upon the prospect altogether, and formed 
one unbroken amphitheatre of mountains. 
Ere the sun has yet cleared the horizou, the hunter, peeping cautiously round the angle of an abutting rock, has des- 
cried upon the opposite bank of a deep ravine, a small troop of the beautifal objects for which he seeks, decked out in all 
their blue and silyer, and browsing wnsuspicious of danger on the bare hill-side. Their outward slot being apparent in the pass 
whereon he is now standing, he feels so well assured that they will return by the same track, that taking up his own position 
behind a natural buttress, whence, unseen, he can both command the path, and watch the success of his scheme, he at once 
despatches his attendant by a circuitous route to disturb the quarry from the opposite quarter. And now, with a slow and 
measured step, the wary herd are in motion. At times either partially or wholly concealed,—at others emerging slowly to 
view—they wind leisurely down between the huge masses of impending rock, putting into motion sundry loose pebbles which 
course each other, bounding, from steep to steep, until their last fall is heard on the hard stony bottom. Whilst three or 
four females in the van are scrutinizing the glen beneath, the rear guard are first gazing intently behind them, and then, as 
if suspicious of danger, trotting forward to close up their files, One after the other, the whole twelve have at length disap- 
peared under the spreading trees which choke the hollow, but the faint sound of their foot-fall, accompanied by an occasional 
rustling of the foliage, fails not to apprize the hunter, whose heart is momentarily beating still higher and higher with nervous 
anticipation, that his plot is well laid, and that his victims, now picking their way obliquely up the rocky ridge, will shortly 
re-appear within certain range of his ambush. 
Twenty minutes have thus been passed in almost breathless suspense; an interval of total silence has twice dashed the 
sportsman's hopes to the ground, and twice have they been resuscitated by the renewing of these thrilling sounds —at cach 
renewal more audible than before —when at last the points of the leader's corkserew horns, slowly protraded above the sky 
line, are succeeded by the stately wearer himself, carrying his armorial devices argent upon a field azure ; and one by one his 
shy followers next begin to crown the summit of the hill! Foward they march deliberately and cautiously in single file, exa- 
mining each object in succession, and stopping at intervals to listen to the echo of the pebbles which are still tumbling over ° 
the crags. Halting finally upon a projecting ridge, swelling and proudly jutting out his frilled bosom, the amorous leader now 
turns to muster bis forces. It is a moment of deep and absorbing interest, and the blood of the Nimrod is at a gallop. 
The bull's broadside is towards the rifle, but his forehand is completely masked by one of the nearest females. Now the lady 
has obligingly moved on a step, and his dark outline is presented clear against the heavens. Resting the rifle over a projecting 
stone, the fine drawn sight is brought to bear upon the victim's shoulder. The sharp ping of the explosion returned back from 
the opposite hills makes the wild valley rattle again, and the ragged bullet having sped truly to its Giants has told upon the 
hard blade bone with a smack that is never to be mistaken. Hurrah! there must be death in that shot—the stricken quarry 
having sprang a dozen feet or more into the air, is prostrate for ever upon his grey haunches. Alas! no, he is up again, 
and as if nothing had happened, is scouring along the height with the rest of the herd; yet see, the blood is pouring from 
his wound in a stream as thick as one’s finger —his race cannot fail to be a short one.- Already bas he begun to falter, as his 
timid companions are fast leaying him in the lurch. Sending a wistful look after them, he makes one strong effort to advance, 
but it may not be. His head is swimming, and by the extension of his fore-legs alone can he preserve his equilibrinm. 
Now his knees are tottering together—his crowned head begins alternately to fall and rise; blood gushes from his distended 
nostrils, his whole frame quivers, and involuntarily staggering back a step or two, down at last he sinks upon the earth, 
stiff and lifeless. 
