The Argosy — page 322: what you’re looking at

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

By the Vulture’s Nest. 297 and pointed silently towards a mass of stone at some distance down the gully to the right. Graham’s eager eye followed the direction, and espied two fine chamois, that, stationary and with heads erect, seemed to be scanning the ground, and on the look out for danger. A few minutes later, on the very brow of the hill, appeared several other chamois, with the former splendid buck in their midst. They came leisurely along—paused, approached to the very verge, in order to peer over into the precipice—and then retreated again. They were evidently in no alarm, and soon some of the young kids of the party began to clip the dewy grass, or to sport among themselves with light and graceful gambols. The four hunters, carefully concealed, never for a moment detached their eyes from the interesting group, which now approached a narrow but deep fissure in the rock, filled with still unmelted snow. Towards this they all bent down, and were soon most busily engaged. Some anxious time passed thus, when the Count exclaimed : ‘‘ They are not in the least alarmed, and are quietly licking the snow, which all chamois are so specially fond of. But, if no further sound of the drivers below should chance to reach that favoured spot, they may remain there for hours; which would hardly suit us, Graham. Berger,” he added, ‘“‘send your companion round to try and startle them. But let him be cautious, and be sure not to be observed.” Away went Lepper! on his delicate mission, but so quietly that not even Graham and the Count, though so close to him, could catch the sound of his retreating steps. For half an hour still the chamois remained upon the grassy plot, where some of them laid themselves down to rest, without sus- picion that the hunter’s eye was upon them, whilst the two sportsmen watched with breathless anxiety, their hands upon their rifles. Suddenly a movement of evident alarm was noticed among the chamois. A shrill and piercing whistle re-echoed through the gorge, and with one simultaneous bound, the whole of the little troop was in motion, dashing among the rocks, scarcely touching the ground with their elastic hoofs, and seeming to fly, rather than spring, over yawn- ing gaps and abysses, where no living man could have followed. One large, sagacious doe, the matron of the group, had fearlessly sprung to the head, and was now leading the desperate flight. Straight as an arrow from a bow she made for old Berger's fatal strip of white rock, with the bounding water rill. But just as they were on the point of reaching it, the simultaneous peal of two shots resounded, their number was reduced by one, and the big buck had “ bitten the dust.” Both Graham and the Count had fired, but evidently one of the two had missed his aim. The last trace of the retreating game had disappeared, and the Count, rising from his seat, said to his friend: “I am delighted to tell you, Graham, that it was you who dropped the splendid buck that is lying over there, for I purposely and most willingly left him for my EONNIE OOS (E@) m