A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



until you come to within about two hundred yards 

 of the aforesaid specks ; nearer than this you 

 cannot get. You then select the one that is 

 darkest in colour this you believe to be the big 

 buck (to distinguish their horns at this distance 

 is impossible) and fire, continuing to pump lead 

 into the herd as long as they are within sight, with 

 or without success." 



This account, though perhaps a little exaggerated, 

 certainly gives one a good idea of the difficulties 

 of pursuing this little animal, more especially when 

 the object of one's hunt is the Puttatuktuk herd, 

 and I must confess that the Thibetan gazelle gave 

 me far more trouble to obtain than any other of 

 the game in these parts, not excepting the nyan ; 

 though, from what I have been told, and, indeed, 

 have seen myself, given favourable ground, this 

 little animal offers an occasional easy shot, and, 

 from his habit of stopping after he has gone a 

 short distance, frequently affords an opportunity 

 of a second one if you follow him up. 



Of such, however, are not the goa of Putta- 

 tuktuk, and, after fulfilling my friend's programme 

 almost to the very letter, I found myself obliged 

 to seek the camp empty-handed, though my 

 shikaris declared that one buck was wounded. As 

 we did not retrieve him, I hope that this was not 

 the case, though he certainly did turn away from 

 the herd, which is usually a sign of the bullet 



having told. 



171 



