s; and
for the skins two or three more! The flesh or venison was chiefly
purchased by the landlords of the hotels--of which there are hundreds at
the different watering-places on the French side of the Pyrenees. The
visitors were fond of izzard, and called for it at the table. Perhaps
they did not relish it so much as they pretended to do; but coming from
great cities, and places where they never saw a chamois, they wished to
be able to say they had eaten of its flesh. In this conjecture the
izzard-hunter was, perhaps, not far out. A considerable quantity of
game of other kinds is masticated from a like motive.

It was suggested by Ivan, that, with such a demand for the flesh, the
izzard should fetch a better price. Ten francs was nothing?

"Ah!" replied the hunter with a sigh, "that is easily explained,
monsieur! The hotel-keepers are too cunning, both for us and their
guests. If we were to charge more, they would not take it off our
hands."

"But they would be under the necessity of having it, since their guests
call for it."

"So they do; and if there were no _goats_, our izzard-venison would sell
at a higher price."

"How?" demanded Ivan, puzzled to make out the connection between goats
and izzard-venison.

"Goats and izzards are too much alike, monsieur--that is, after being
skinned and cut up. The hotel-keeper knows this, and often makes
`Nanny' do duty for izzard. Many a hotel traveller at Eaux Bonnes may
be heard praising our izzard's flesh, when it is only a quarter of young
kid he's been dining upon. Ha! ha! ha!"

And the hunter laughed at the cheat--though he well knew that its
practice seriously affected the income of his own calling.

But, indeed, if the truth had been told, the man followed the chase far
less from a belief in its being a remunerative profession, than from an
innate love for the hunter's life. So enthusiastic was he upon the
theme, that it was easy to see he would not have exchanged his calling
for any other--even had the change promised him a fortune! It is so
with professional hunters in all parts of the world, who submit to
hardships, and often the greatest privations, for that still sweeter
privilege of roaming the woods and wilds at will, and being free from
the cares and trammels that too often attach themselves to social life.

Conversing on such topics, the party sat around the bivouac fire until
after sunset, when their guide admonished them that they would