134 By Mountain, Lake, and Plain 



wait. When they again disappeared on the top 

 of the ridge, we climbed up, and eventually saw 

 them far below us on a flat plain cut up by 

 narrow ravines. They were standing in a bunch, 

 and evidently undecided on their next move- 

 ments. I therefore gave them time, and had 

 lunch. It was their siesta hour by now, and 

 I expected them to compose themselves to sleep 

 on some commanding hillside. Whilst waiting 

 here, Eahmat showed me how he imitated the 

 low noise made by the male in the rutting season. 

 He asserted that by this means he could get a 

 ram to come quite close up to him to meet a 

 supposed rival a thing I had never heard of 

 before with wild sheep. 



As the herd remained standing, we determined 

 to try our luck, dropped down a ravine that 

 concealed us, and soon found ourselves on the 

 same level as the herd, and some four hundred 

 yards from where they stood. No means of 

 getting nearer ; the intervening ground could not 

 give cover to a hare. Another long pause. The 

 herd at last moved, and one by one disappeared 

 into a small dry nullah with steep banks. When 

 the last was gone I ran, ran for all I was worth, 

 over the hard clay. I had reduced the distance 

 by about half, when with a horrid shock I be- 

 came aware of the herd to my right. They had 



