2i6 DONG (WILD YAK) SHOOTING 



was no visible result. We, too, ran round the swell, but 

 lower down, and found the bull standing on the slope of 

 the next valley looking rather sick. I fired again, but 

 with no result. The bull now attempted to go up hill, 

 but could not manage it ; he turned and ran down to the 

 level of the main valley, and started to go along the bottom, 

 but soon subsided into a short, quick walk. His gait was 

 very characteristic ; it was evident his temper was up, as, 

 witness the angry flourishes of his bushy tail. The effect 

 was heightened by the swaying to and fro of his long 

 black shaggy hair, which hung all round below his knees 

 like a thick curtain ; seen from behind, it resembled the 

 swaying of a kilt when the wearer is stepping out his best. 

 The whole action of the old Bos seemed to say, " I don't 

 want to fight, but by jingo if I do ! " His pace, however, 

 decreased by degrees as I watched him through the 

 glasses, and soon became very slow, for the poor beast had 

 a mortal wound. It was past noon now, and, as I had no 

 intention of letting the poor brute escape thus wounded, 

 I sent Pamber back to bring up the camp, resolved to 

 follow the bull, and finish him off as quickly as I could. 



I had a snack, and we started again. At this un- 

 lucky moment the wind changed again, and blew right 

 to the dong ; the consequence was, that after passing a 

 turn we saw him rise slowly from the ground and resume 

 his slow walk. We had to stop and keep him in view. 

 The valley was narrow, with steep stony hillsides, and 

 there was no way of heading him, except by climbing right 

 up to the sky-line and getting round to the head of the 

 valley. It was a terrible task labouring up those steep 

 hillsides in that rarefied atmosphere ; the highest point 

 we reached could not have been much under twenty 

 thousand feet. The bull came slowly on up a narrow gully. 

 The track, no doubt, was well known to him, as it led into 



