SHEEP AND GOATS 233 



rest, and there, just across, scratching his back on a 

 rock, was a really good ibex. He presented quite 

 an easy shot broadside on, and so I pulled off at 

 once. Away he went up the opposite side and out 

 of sight, and another one with him that I had not 

 seen before. Before I could get another cartridge 

 in they were out of sight. Imagine my feelings ! 

 " Is the joy of killing worth the risk of the intense 

 mortification of missing an easy shot ? " Often have 

 I asked myself that question. "Well, I may as 

 well see where they have gone," so I ran across the 

 nullah. When I got half way up the opposite slope 

 my spirits revived with a bound. There was blood 

 on the trail. My reputation was saved ! A hundred 

 yards farther on, over the top, lay my ibex, stone 

 dead. On my way home, looking across the big 

 gorge in which was my camp, I made out a herd of 

 something which my shikari said were gud, as they 

 call the small sheep of this region, feeding on what 

 appeared to be a plateau similar to the one I was on. 

 As day broke the next morning we were on our 

 ground. My shikari told me I should surely find 

 the gud on the same spot, as they are very local so 

 long as they get what they want in the way of grass. 

 Sure enough, there they were. Five good rams, not 

 a ewe amongst them. This sheep has got a wonder- 

 ful eye, to say nothing of nose and ears, so I had to 

 be very careful of my approach. I told the shikari 

 not to move unless I called him, however long I took 

 doing my job. Fortunately, there was absolutely no 

 wind, but the stillness of the air was intense. I 



