the manna of old, had, as it
were, rained down from the sky.

"Our dinner!" shouted Caspar, gleefully, as the "thump" of the falling
ibex sounded in their ears. "Our supper, too," he added. "Ay, more!
In such a large carcass there must be provision to last us for a week!"

All three rose to their feet, and were about starting forward to secure
the prize; when a shrill scream twice repeated fell upon their ears--
coming down apparently from the top of the cliffs, or rather from the
mountain that trended still higher above them.

Could it be the cry of the conquering ibex--his slogan of triumph? No;
it was not his voice, nor that of a quadruped of any kind. Neither did
the spectators for an instant believe it to be so. On turning their
eyes upward, they saw the creature, or the creatures--for there were two
of them--from whose throats those screams had proceeded.

The victorious ibex was still standing conspicuously upon the cliff.
During the few seconds that the attention of the spectators had been
occupied elsewhere, he appeared to have been contemplating the dire deed
of destruction he had just accomplished, and perhaps indulging in the
triumph he had obtained over his unfortunate rival. At all events he
had stepped forward upon the projecting point of the rock--to the very
spot so lately occupied by his adversary.

The cry, however, which had been heard in the valley below had reached
his ears at the same time, and perhaps a little sooner: for as the
spectators looked up, they saw that he had been startled by it, and was
looking around him with evident alarm. In the air above and not many
yards distant from him, were two dark objects, easily recognisable as
birds upon the wing. They were of large size, nearly black in colour,
and with that peculiar sharpness of outline and sweep of wing that
distinguish the true birds of prey. There was no mistaking their kind--
they were eagles--of a species known in the Himalayas and the steppes of
Thibet as the "bearcoot."

They were swooping in short, abrupt curves, at intervals repeating their
shrill screams, both crying out together, and from their excited mien,
and the character of their movements, no doubt could be entertained as
to the object of their noisy demonstrations. They were about to assault
an enemy, and that enemy was no other than the ibex.

The animal appeared to be fully aware of their intent; and seemed for a
moment to be irresolute as to how i