BUFFALO AND BISON 305 



make out, three bulls and about a dozen cows quite 

 a big herd. 



There was no getting at them on the flat ; I must 

 needs wait until they had done feeding and moved up 

 to the plateau above. I had not long to wait before 

 they began to move, stringing out like baggage 

 animals and moving up the spurs. As soon as the 

 last disappeared over the sky-line off I went best 

 pace, hoping to catch them over the crest, as my 

 shikari had said there was a great deal of snow there. 

 It was stiff work on that slope ; the gravelly, sandy 

 soil was loose and yielding, and the altitude, 17,000 

 feet, made a difference to one's breathing. At last I 

 cautiously peeped over. Oh, joy ! There they were, 

 an easy shot ; nearest of all a great black bull, the 

 long hair on his belly nearly sweeping the snow, 

 waving his thick brush of a tail to and fro. I lay 

 prone, not daring to put up my rifle until my pulse 

 was quieter. I could hear my heart beat so loudly 

 that I feared the yak would hear it also. At last I 

 felt right, and raised my rifle. The beast was a 

 splendid target on the white snow, and I only 100 

 yards from him ; it was therefore not surprising that 

 I dropped him clean in his tracks. The rest of the 

 herd ran together in a clump, just as musk oxen are 

 said to do. This I did not like at all, for I could 

 not distinguish bull from cow, they stood in such a 

 clump. I made up my mind and picked out one 

 which I judged to be a bull, although there were none 

 as big as the first one I shot. The herd then made 

 off, leaving one behind. He stood with his head 



