A CHANCE LOST. 101 



soon obliterated by the falling snow, and not an animal did 

 we see. 



Floundering down through the deep snow-beds was tire- 

 some enough, but as descending the spur was much quicker 

 and less laborious work than ascending it, we reached our 

 cave much sooner than I expected. On arrival we found 

 most of its occupants in a complete state of prostration, and 

 suffering severely from the effects of having partaken too 

 freely of tahr-meat. The sky had cleared again, it was still 

 early in the afternoon, and being my last day on the hill, 

 after refreshing the inner man we once more set out. 



We had made for the ground below, in the direction of the 

 place where we had lost the first tahr I had shot at in this 

 vicinity. Kurbeer was following me, carrying my rifle, when 

 suddenly I heard him hurriedly whisper, " There he goes ! and 

 he's surely the tahr you wounded, for he's lame," as a big 

 buck jumped up from behind some rocks close to us, and 

 rattled off. Had I had the rifle in my hand I could have got 

 an easy running shot ; and when I did lay hold of it, I waited, 

 thinking the beast would be certain to stand and gaze back. 

 But he had no intention of stopping, so I lost my chance. 

 Nota bene always have your rifle in your own hands on 

 likely ground when you can, for many an easy chance is thus 

 lost by letting it be carried for you. We did not follow far, 

 for even had the tahr been our wounded one, there was now 

 no blood on his track. On our way back we saw a herd in 

 the distance, but the shadows were already deepening around, 

 rendering a long stalk impracticable. 



At daybreak next morning, whilst the loads were being 

 packed preparatory to our descent to the village, I took a 

 stroll in search of moonals. These pheasants may often be 

 found, early in the morning, on steep open glades among forest, 

 scraping up the earth, probably in search of insects. By 

 stealing up under cover below them, a rocketing shot may be 

 got overhead, as they invariably fly downwards. In this 



