The Argosy — page 313: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

288 BY THE VULTURES: NEST. By BettrinA WIRTH, AUTHOR OF * PRINCESS ELEANOR.” rye the many friends it has been my happy lot to win in the course of a long life, there is none dearer to my heart than Douglas Graham—an English gentleman. Douglas Graham is a bachelor, and wealthy enough to roam about the world; never tired of encountering adventures and dangers of all kinds, yet ever eager to learn and to observe. <§ Some time ago he confessed to me that a great wish of his heart was on the eve of fulfilment —he was about to shoot his first chamois. I had often heard him say—‘“ If I could but Heap or Cuamors, Once shoot a chamois I should be happy;” and so I heartily congratulated him when he at length showed me an invitation from Count P to his castle in the Tyrolean Alps, where a number of other well known sports- men had already met for their favourite pastime. There were no ladies at the castle, which was one used principally during the hunting season. The company included the “ Jagdherr ”— that is, the host— several Austrian noblemen, and also a young Frenchman, one of the military attachés of the French Embassy at Vienna. As the gentlemen sat smoking round the enormous fireplace in the castle hall, conversation naturally turned upon the approaching chase; and the several places where the hunters were to be posted, in order to lie in wait for the game, were eagerly discussed. The young Frenchman, slightly heated, perhaps, by the champagne he had indulged in at table, exclaimed loudly: “If you have any dangerous position, which no one else cares to take, that will be the place for me.” The host rose, placed himself before the fire, and said quietly but courteously: ‘I am afraid I shall not be able to comply with your wish, Chevalier. Mr. Graham, who has honoured me with his pre- sence, is not only one of my oldest friends, but he has been away from us for many years. I had, therefore, already determined to reserve for him our most difficult post; otherwise you may be sure that I should have great pleasure in meeting your wishes.” ‘All that I can say then, is, that I envy Mr. Graham,” was the Frenchman’s somewhat sullen rejoinder, whilst Graham drew nearer to the master of the house, and inquired what kind of place was so kindly reserved for him. Gomicbooks (E(@) m