A PECULIAR WOUND. 153 



the park. Clear across the park he could see the 

 fresh dirt which had been thrown up in the flight, 

 but no sheep was in sight. He stood looking at the 

 distant mountain-tops for a few minutes, debating 

 whether it would be wise to follow the band, and 

 then decided to return to camp and lament his folly. 

 Just as he turned in the direction where old Charlie 

 had been left feeding, a moving object in the edge of 

 the timber caused him to throw up his gun. As he 

 did so an old ram walked slowly out into the opening 

 and stopped in plain view with its head down and 

 then sank slowly to the ground. Dyche walked to 

 within fifty yards of the animal, but it never moved, 

 and approaching nearer, the naturalist saw that the 

 ram at which he had fired was dead at his feet. The 

 ball had entered too high to hit the heart and too low 

 to break the back, and the wound was of such a nature 

 that all the blood ran into the cavity of the body, 

 which accounted for the absence of blood on the 

 rocks. 



The revulsion of feelings from his deep disappoint- 

 ment was so great that the hunter felt literally re- 

 freshed, and proceeded to measure and skin his prize, 

 after which he carried the load to old Charlie and 

 made his way to camp. He longed for his com- 

 panions now, to share with him the joy of the prize, 

 but he was too tired to waste time in regretting their 

 absence, and was soon sound asleep after his hard 

 day's work. 



Dyche now had plenty of rams, but he needed 

 ewes and lambs to complete his collection. Several 

 days were spent in fruitless stalks after bands of 



