94 A SPORTSMAN'S EDEN. 



saw me as I pushed the useless weapon from me, 

 or heard the second click and were frightened, 

 for away they went at best speed, the first barrel 

 of my spare rifle missing fire like its fellow. 



Toma spoke English then for the first and 

 only time I ever heard him, although I believe 

 my old guide was right in saying that he under- 

 stood and could speak it a little if he chose. 

 ' Gun no good ; haiyu no good,' he muttered, 

 and I agreed even with the quaint superlative 

 ' haiyu ' (anglice, ' very '). 



However, the morning was early still, and we 

 could now see little groups of hinds sauntering 

 off towards the timber in several directions, so 

 that we did not despair of adding fresh meat to 

 our menu of bacon and beans before dinner-time. 

 Our next stalk that morning was for better game 

 than deer to wit, for two grand old mountain - 

 rams, which we had made out with my glasses, 

 lying down in a sunny little corrie, very sheltered 

 from the wind, no doubt, and comfortable, but 

 dangerously easy to approach. When at last I 

 raised myself and looked over the ridge, the first 

 bighorn I had ever been near was certainly not 

 forty yards from me, standing up and looking 

 away from me over the recumbent form of his 

 fellow. Two splendid beasts they were, with 

 finely -curled, heavy horns, and coats so dark that 



