A LONG SHOT 189 



crest of the range and ascending the other side among the 

 spurs leading down to the DoDg-lung, where the tracks of 

 the sheep were lost in a rocky, steep side valley, covered 

 in places with clumps of the dama plant. 



The contrariness of sporting luck was now fully 

 illustrated. All day the wind had been blowing a gale 

 from the east, entirely in my favour, and now, as soon as 

 I was within striking distance of the game, it veered quite 

 round, and went down the valley directly from us to the 

 nyan ! We were too close to retreat, and before we had 

 gone a hundred yards the boy sighted the rams : they 

 were huddled together in the bottom of one of the small 

 side ravines, apparently concealing themselves among some 

 dama bushes. It was impossible to say whether they 

 were seeking protection from the weather, or trying to 

 keep out of our sight. At anyrate, they were fully aware 

 of our proximity, and were looking in our direction, for a 

 regular Tibetan gale was blowing towards them from us. 

 We crossed over to the next ravine on our left and rushed 

 along its bottom to get within range, but the rams guessed 

 our tactics, and when we topped the ridge they were 

 retreating down the main channel. Instead of following 

 the windings of the nala, where they would have been out 

 of sight and perfectly safe, they went down it a short 

 distance, and turning up the opposite side, huddled together 

 on a knoll watching us, about 300 yards distant from 

 our position on another hillock. It was my only chance, 

 I thought, and I took the shot at the dark-coloured beast 

 that had been the sentinel. Putting up the second sight 

 of the Winchester Express, I caught him just behind the 

 left shoulder, and he rolled down, while the others 

 disappeared. As I fired, the thunder rolled, and there 

 were several successive claps, quite close above us, which 

 came in very dramatically at the right moment, but were 



