A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



of us will march for a month to get on to Ovis 

 Ammon ground, and yet will not consent to wait 

 a few days after the game is sighted," and the same 

 rule holds good for all shooting in Thibet. On 

 this occasion, however, after the lapse of half-an- 

 hour the goa all lay down, gazing into the valley 

 below, and heedless of danger from above. After 

 going for some little way along the ridge we began 

 the descent. It was by no means bad climbing, 

 but the danger consisted in making a noise by 

 dislodging loose shale, which would at once have 

 put the game on the alert. 



I have noticed that in Baltistan stones dislodged, 

 or even a shot fired, will often only cause an animal 

 to look up in surprise, so accustomed is he in these 

 parts to falling rocks and thunder-claps ; but in 

 Ladakh it is very different, and a slip on the shaly 

 hill-side will usually send the game away, probably 

 off the ground altogether, at any rate for that day. 

 In this case my shikaris (or rather shikari, as I only 

 took Saibra with me, telling the others to wait 

 above), with his bare feet, and myself with felt-soled 

 Chaplis, moved very quietly, and, when we judged 

 that we must be about on a level with the gazelle 

 we crept on our faces towards them. The wind, for 

 a wonder, was steady ; and at last we saw a pair 

 of horns above an intervening ridge, and not more 

 than eighty yards distant. I got into a kneeling 

 position, and the goa all jumped to their feet and 



stood for a second, which second proved fatal to 



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