224 DONG (WILD YAK) SHOOTING 



off. I had just time to twist myself into a sitting position, 

 and deliver my second barrel into his shoulder as he rushed 

 by. That finished him. He fell twenty yards below me, 

 sprawling on his belly, with his legs spread out, thus 

 checking the otherwise inevitable roll down hill. His head 

 was raised, and he was bleeding copiously from the mouth. 



The scene, though it lasted only a few moments, has left 

 an indelible impression on my memory. Our respective 

 positions in this transaction were, I should say, unique. 

 The blazing sun behind the bull, as he stood over Paljour, 

 setting off his grand proportions, Paljour jammed under 

 the rock, bawling at the pitch of his voice, and myself 

 quivering with excitement on the stony hillside ! It seems 

 a laughing matter now, but at the time we were all three 

 desperately in earnest. At any rate, Paljour thought the 

 situation critical, for when the bull rolled over he came down 

 to me, put his head on my feet, crying, " You have saved 

 me, you have saved me ! " He patted the rifle affection- 

 ately, exclaiming, " BahM achha larnHk, hahiU achha 

 hancluk ! " (a very good gun, a very good gun), and was 

 altogether hysterical for a time. 



After we had recovered somewhat, we went down to the 

 dong, which was still alive, and I was debating in my 

 mind whether I would spend another cartridge on him to 

 put him out of pain, when Paljour shouted something at 

 him, abusive, I suppose, in Tibetan. The sound of the 

 human voice roused the savage brute's fury again; he 

 moved angrily, but it was his last effort. The poor beast 

 rolled over and went down the stony hillside, over and 

 over, for a hundred yards, bringing up on a level bit at 

 the bottom, on the flat of his back, dead. The camp came 

 up presently, and we pitched near the carcase. 



Next morning he was cut up. He was much smaller 

 than No. 1, but was a compact, sturdy beast, of immense 



