184 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



we settled our plan for a stalk. The oorial were on the 

 top of a small range of hills, and not easy to approach, for 

 between us lay a flat plain full in their view. We had 

 to make a long circuit to get the wind, and cross beyond 

 the open space. Then the slope of the hills concealed us, 

 and, creeping and crawling through broken ground and 

 good cover, we got to within sixty yards of the herd. 

 There were two rams, one, the nearest, a splendid fellow 

 with horns at least twenty-nine inches long. 



As he stood still, looking quietly before him, I took, as 

 I thought, a steady shot at his shoulder, and missed 

 him clean. He was over the ridge before I could fire 

 the second barrel. 



There was nothing to do but to sit down and speculate 

 how so easy a chance could have been missed. The " man 

 of the world " advanced several consoling theories ; but 

 the less courtly Mahomet could not conceal his disgust and 

 disappointment. Of course we never got another chance, 

 and returned to camp before dark. 



It was a bad beginning for our new shikari, and it 

 would never do to let him have a mean opinion of our 

 shooting. Shikaris — like the old story of the cockney's 

 pointer running home — soon lose heart. Alan is really 

 a good rifle shot ; so, partly for practice, partly to reassure 

 Mahomet, he put three empty bottles on a rock at a 

 hundred yards' distance. The first two he broke right and 



