240 A SHOOTING TRIP TO KAMCHATKA 



tracks, however, indicated the presence of wild sheep, 

 and on spying more carefully I discovered a fair-sized 

 ram — the largest I had as yet seen — walking slowly 

 up a ridge. As he stood on the skyline, about two 

 miles westwards, I could see that he carried quite a 

 good head, and so decided, in consultation with the 

 General, to make, next morning, straight for that 

 place. 



We returned to camp late in the evening, finding the 

 tents well smoked against mosquitoes, which had 

 never ceased harassing us since om" arrival. I turned 

 in earlv that nioht. and found the weather bright at 

 four a.m., when I mounted my steed to save a long 

 climb on foot to the timber-line. The temperature was 

 chilly as we threaded the nullah through alder scrub 

 and dwarf cedars to the foot of the precipitous ridge 

 which ran down from the main spine, separating the 

 higher ground at the head of the valley in two large 

 cul-dc-sacs. Here I dismounted, and taking with me 

 the General, began a desperate scramble up a slope, 

 which, at places, was as steep as could be, and the 

 long grass, wet with the morning dew, drenched us 

 both to the waist. As we advanced mosquitoes came 

 out with the sun and gathered round us in swarms. 

 We soon reached, in this tiresome companionship, the 

 rhododendron and moss zone, and settling down to 



