ROUGH NOTES OF TRAVEL AND SPORT. 107 



water flows down them). When about 500 yards from the 

 markhor, we got full in their view, but by crawling very slowly, 

 in our grey puttou clothes, over the faces of the steep rocks, 

 we managed to get to 350 yards without attracting notice. Then 

 it was plain sailing down a gully to about 200 yards, whence, 

 leaving Mamdu with the alpenstocks, we carefully de-cended about 

 thirty yards further. Crawling out on a rock we peeped over. Not 

 a single markhor was to be seen ! Every one of the three males had 

 vanished. How we blessed the wind ! We must have been winded ; 

 but where had they gone to ? We scanned the nullah up and down, 

 but in vain. At last some slight movement on the rocks opposite, 

 about 250 yards away, caught my eye. Yes, there was a female 

 markhor lying down quite at her ease — she suspected nothing. And 

 then we gradually made out our three friends — one big and two 

 moderate sized ; they had climbed about 50 yards up the precipice 

 facing us, had comfortably ensconced themselves in holes under 

 stones, and were just settling down for a siesta. The biggest fellow 

 was not comfortable enough, so he got up, butted a smaller male out 

 of his bed, and lay down in it. The small one, much disgusted, 

 went on a little further. We meanwhile were in full view, but got 

 across about fifteen yards of a ledge, while the fighting was going on, 

 and so behind a yew tree. Here we waited. Then the big one 

 jumped up, and followed by one small one came quickly down the 

 rocks to have another feed of the green grass below. We crawled a 

 few yards more, and found that we could not get an inch nearer 

 without being seen. The three females were right below, 150 yards 

 off. The big one walked across and joined them. My chance had 

 come. Lying flat out on the overhanging rock, I put my hand back 

 for the rifle, which N. drew from its cover, and passed up to me. 

 Quietly loading it I took careful aim at the markhor's shoulder as he 

 stood broadside to me, and slowly pressed the trigger. At the shot 

 he swung round and made a bolt. 1 fired again hastily and missed 

 by a few inches. After going about 30 yards he stood with his back 

 to me and I fired a third time. I felt sure I had hit him, but he 

 hopped up the rocks opposite, and then Nibra said " his shoulder is 

 broken ; he is going on three legs." He climbed about 20 yards, 

 slowly pausing several times, and then fell head over heels down again 

 into the nullah. Taking my penknife (the shikar knife was behind 

 with Mamdu) N. scrambled down and halaled him. When I got 

 across, Nibra pointed to his left shoulder, all smashed with th« 

 15 



