106 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



We met, and resolved ourselves into a friendly boundary 

 commission, with the result of proving that my visitor was at present 

 camped and pursuing game within the limits of my nullah : but as 

 he had not up to date been successful in getting a Markhor, I asked 

 him to finish the stalk and went to camp. 



In the evening I went down my ridge, and fired at and missed a 

 good Markhor. He was lying down, and I could only partly see his 

 head, about 100 yards below me. If I had only had the patience to 

 wait, he would have stood up and died, but his kismet was good, and 

 Zeus, the son of Kronos, took aw T ay sense from me, and I fired at, and 

 missed the little patch of neck that was visible. 



We used to call this Markhor the "Dost" ("friend'') afterwards, 

 as he always turned up at that place when wanted, and a little male 

 (he who had been with the big one I shot) attaching himself as 

 scout to the old fellow, my men called him the " police-wallah," he 

 was so vigilant. I never got that old " Dost," but he disappeared, 

 and I fear got into trouble through going round into Shaltar once 

 too often. 



Ajwil 28th. — I made a really good stalk to-day, and shot a fine 

 Markhor, 38| inch horns, girth 10^, divergence between tips 33. 

 The morning was fine, but the aneroid had fallen to 20"15. and 

 clouds gathered at 8 A. M. 1 had intended going towards Ramghat, 

 along the ridge of the hill, and sent Nibra off at 7, to scout for that 

 old fellow I missed so idiotically the other day. He came back soon 

 to say there was a herd of Markhor in the west ravine, about 800 

 yards lower than the camp. By this time the sky was quite over- 

 clouded, and the wind all over the place, so, though they were 

 splendidly placed for a stalk, I refused to attempt it, and waited 

 till 1-30 at the camp, hoping against hope for a steady wind up 

 hill. At 1-30 the sun came out overhead, the sky cleared at once, 

 and with the increased surface heat the breeze began to come up 

 fairly steadily, though still veering a little now and then. However, 

 I decided to chance it, and down I went with the two shikaries, 

 leaving Rehman on the cliffs above to watch; with great care, 

 frequently tossing pinches of dust into the air to test the wind, we 

 clambered down the spur. There were three female Markhor high 

 up in the ravine ; then a single one lower, as a link ; and then three 

 males still lower down, lying together asleep in the middle of the dry 

 stony bed, here about 200 yards broad (I should mention that the 

 branch of side ravines are usually dry, as more stone than 



