MOUFFLON-STALKING IN CYPRUS 363 



found at a distance and worked up to secundum 

 artem — in Cyprus spoiled by the impatience of a 

 native. It was also my last stalk, as it turned out, 

 and made a total of four. In each of the other two, 

 as already related, the ram had moved before the 

 approach was completed. Every other shot I ob- 

 tained — not many as will be seen — resulted from 

 coming on the game as unexpectedly on my part 

 as on theirs, with the exception of one driven, and 

 running, shot. The fact is that the country does 

 not lend itself to stalking, and the best chances 

 result from poking about quietly, being careful to 

 work up -wind, and to approach every ravine and 

 gully with caution. 



We then went on to a hut on the Phyti-Stavro 

 Road, which here forms the march of the sanctuary, 

 and then right along the long ridge of Eloeon Muti, 

 which runs from this point almost to the Ayias. As 

 we were working along, not too quietly, T caught 

 sight of a ram crossing a gully to a spur in front 

 of us. Seizing the rifle, I signed to my companion 

 to sit dowm. The moufflon stopped twice to stare, 

 and each time I put up the rifle, but each time a 

 tree covered him more or less, and at the somewhat 

 long range I hesitated to fire. At last he bounded 

 ofP. I thought he would not go far, and we followed 

 pretty snartly. It w^as over half an hour, however, 

 before Mehemet saw him descending towards the 

 ravine where I had stalked the big ram. We hurried 

 on behind the ridge on our side of it, and reached 

 the point where I had commenced my actual approach 

 on that occasion. From this spot we saw him again. 

 I thought he might come there, as there is a dip 

 in the ridge forming a sort of pass ; but the Turk 



