hounds nor man, every now and then charging through the
pack, and coming almost within reach of the Tamby's spear. It was a
difficult thing to know how to kill him. I was afraid to go in at him,
lest in his struggles he should drag the hounds over the precipice, and
I would not cheer the seizers on for the same reason. Indeed, they
seemed well aware of the danger, and every now and then retreated to
me, as though to entice the elk to make a move to some better ground.

However, the buck very soon decided the question. I made up my mind to
halloo the hounds on, and to hamstring the elk, to prevent him from
nearing the precipice: and, giving a shout, the pack rushed at him.
Not a dog could touch him; he was too quick with his horns and fore
feet. He made a dash into the pack, and then regained his position
close to the verge of the precipice. He then turned his back to the
hounds, looked down over the edge, and, to the astonishment of all,
plunged into the abyss below! A dull crash sounded from beneath, and
then nothing was heard but the roaring of the waters as before. The
hounds looked over the edge and yelled with a mixture of fear and
despair. Their game was gone!

By making a circuit of about half a mile among these frightful
precipices and gorges, we at length arrived at the foot of the cliff
down which the buck had leapt. Here we of course found him lying dead,
as he had broken most of his bones. He was in very fine condition; but
it was impossible to move him from such a spot. I therefore cut off
his head, as his antlers were the finest that I have ever killed before
or since.

To regain the tent, I had a pull for it, having to descend into the
village of Perewelle, and then to reascend the opposite mountain of
three thousand feet; but even this I thought preferable to returning in
cold blood by the dangerous route I had come.

Tugging up such a mountain was no fun after a hard morning's work, and
I resolved to move the encampment to a large cave, some eight hundred
feet lower down the mountain. Accordingly, I struck the tent, and
after breakfast we took up our quarters in a cavern worthy of Robin
Hood. This had been formed by a couple of large rocks the size of a
moderate house, which had been detached from the overhanging cliff
above, and had fallen together. There was a smaller cavern within,
which made a capital kennel; rather more substantial than the rickety
building of yesterday.

Some of