274 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



basin with no cover whatever. They were chewing 

 away at a hind which they had killed. There was 

 nothing for it but to wait until they moved, as they 

 probably would soon, to get a drink after meat, as 

 the sun was getting warm. After a little time they 

 crawled off down the valley, and I moved parallel to 

 them, hoping that they would take a slant my way. 

 This they did in course of time, but when they did 

 get within reach the ground was so strewn with rocks 

 and stones that it was just a chance getting a clear 

 shot. At last, as there was jungle ahead to which 

 they were making, my shikari whistled. They stopped 

 short. I threw up and fired. I heard my bullet go 

 crack against a stone. They gave a spurt and stopped 

 again. I was using a double rifle, fortunately, as I 

 always do for jungle work. I got a clear shot, and 

 hit one pat this time. It spat and hissed like an 

 angry cat, but, after turning head over heels once or 

 twice, lay still. When I got pretty close, my shikari 

 dropped a stone or two on the leopard, but it did not 

 move. This turned out to be a female ; the other I 

 saw twice afterwards evidently looking for his mate, 

 but he never gave me a shot. 



THE RED DEER OF THE ALTAI MOUNTAINS 



In the forest region of the Altai range a fine spe- 

 cimen of the red deer is to be found. He is more of 

 the Wapiti type than that of the European red deer. 

 In colour the mature stag resembles the former, but 



