SHEEP AND GOATS 247 



was right in my face, and all was well. At last I was 

 there, and I lay like a stone, afraid to look over, for 

 my heart was thumping so that I could hear it. In 

 a few minutes I felt steady. Now for it ! I pulled 

 my cap off, and poked my head over. Yes ! there 

 they lay about 100 yards off. I must wait until they 

 get on their legs. Then a horrid thought struck me. 

 About noon the wind always shifted round, and it 

 must be near 12 o'clock. There was nothing for it 

 but to take them as they lay. For one sniff of the 

 human being would get them on their legs and away 

 without a pause, and the only chance I should have 

 would be stern shot as they went away. I selected 

 what I thought the best head, and pulled off. He 

 never got on his legs ; I had got him in the neck, and 

 he just put his head down dead. The rest were on 

 their legs like a flash, spurted 50 yards, then stood for 

 a moment. I picked out another and dropped him 

 to my delight. That was my last chance, and they 

 were out of range in no time. I spent ten days on 

 this range killing six more. I then struck camp and 

 marched back to the Milam Pass, which Surju told 

 me was a good beat for a big Burhel. 



MARKHOR, IBEX, AND THAR 



The markhor is the king of the wild goats, and 

 owing to the difficulty of finding a really good 

 specimen, his head is a trophy coveted more than 

 most by every sportsman. The area inhabited by 

 this animal, taken generally, extends round the hills 



