LETTER IX. 109 



over with a crash as I fired, and another fell 

 in his tracks as they dashed away in headlong 

 flight. It was a weary while before Toma and I 

 overhauled even my first ram, and he took three 

 more shots to finish him and bring him to bay ; 

 but I was as thoroughly beaten by the chase over 

 the cliffs as if I had run a three-mile race ; my 

 knees began to fail me, and the perspiration (lean 

 though I was) blinded me. As for the other 

 ram, though the blood-track was plain enough at 

 first, I was too tired to follow, but gave Toma 

 the rifle, and lying down on a point from which I 

 felt too weak to descend in safety, left him to 

 find and finish the beast for me. However, I 

 think Toma was very nearly blown ; at any rate, 

 my second ram was never found, and I had to be 

 content with the first, whose measurements were 

 14 inches round the butt and 28^ inches in 

 length round the outside curve of the horns. 

 Both horns were a little broken at the points. 

 Though only a seven-year-old ram, and though a 

 good head, it was neither unusually large nor 

 symmetrical. The total bag that day was three 

 sheep and three rams, the latter killed, one by 

 Captain S., one by my Scotch friend Mr. W., 

 and one by myself. 



That night there was much rejoicing in camp ; 

 trifling disagreements were forgotten ; it was 



