r other purposes, but
they would not do for working up into the strong cable which Karl
required.

"Maybe there is more than the one herd in the valley," soliloquised
Caspar. "If so it will be all right. Another bull would be just the
thing;" and with this reflection the hunter brought his double-barrel
down, looked to his flints and priming, returned the gun to his
shoulder, and then walked briskly on.

Caspar had no fear that he should be able to kill all the yaks they had
seen. He was sure of slaughtering the whole herd. One thing certain,
these animals could no more get out of the valley than could the hunter
himself. If they had ever been in the habit of going out of it to visit
other pastures, they must have gone by the glacier; and they were not
likely to traverse that path any more. The hunter now had them at an
advantage--in fact, they were regularly penned up for him!

After all, however, it was not such a pen. The valley was a full mile
in width, and rather better in length. It was a little country of
itself. It was far from being of an even or equal surface. Some parts
were hilly, and great rocks lay scattered over the surface here and
there, in some places forming great mounds several hundred feet high,
with cliffs and ravines between them, and trees growing in the clefts.
Then there were dark woods and thick tangled jungle tracts, where it was
almost impossible to make one's way through. Oh, there was plenty of
covert for game, and the dullest animal might escape from the keenest
hunter in such places. Still the game could not go clear away; and
although the yaks might get off on an occasion, they were sure to turn
up again; and Caspar trusted to his skill to be able to circumvent them
at one time or another.

Never in his life before had Caspar such motives for displaying his
hunter-skill. His liberty--that of all of them--depended on all his
success in procuring the necessary number of hides; and this was spur
enough to excite him to the utmost.

In starting forth from the hut, he had taken his way along the edge of
the lake. Several opportunities offered of a shot at Brahmin geese and
wild ducks but, in anticipation of finding the yaks, he had loaded both
barrels of his gun with balls. This he had done in order to be prepared
for the great bull, whose thick hide even buckshot would scarce have
pierced. A shot at the waterfowl, therefore, could not be thought of.
There would be ever