342 IN PURSUIT OF THE FLOCK. 



at gaze whilst you are in sight, but directly you attempt to 

 conceal yourself they at once take flight. I have often got a 

 chance at beasts after they had detected me, by leaving a man 

 for them to watch, whilst I stalked round under cover within 

 shot of them. 



Whatever had been the cause, in this case the rams had 

 gone ; but the sight of those magnificent horns on the sky- 

 line had made me so keen to try and secure a pair, that, not- 

 withstanding its being rather late in the afternoon, I at once 

 continued the pursuit. On reaching the ridge over which the 

 animals had gone, to my inexpressible delight there they 

 were, not half a mile beyond it. Nine of them that were in 

 sight were lying on the slope of a spur that diverged almost 

 at a right angle from farther up the ridge we were on. Some 

 lay resting their ponderous horns on the ground, whilst others 

 kept strict watch over the open undulating country that 

 stretched far away below. As I surveyed them through the 

 telescope, I might have counted the creases on their horns, 

 so distinctly could I see them; and my excitement was 

 raised to the highest pitch, as I thought that at last I was 

 about to reap the reward of all my patience and trouble. 



A stalk would have entailed so wide a circuit that we feared 

 lest darkness should overtake us before completing it, even 

 were such a plan feasible, which was very doubtful ; but as 

 both the nature of the ground and the direction of the wind 

 answered admirably for a drive, I proceeded to try the ex- 

 periment with every hope of success, and, this time, with 

 Changter's approbation. 



The herdsman was directed to move as quickly as possible 

 up behind the cover of the ridge we were on, and then down 

 the far side of the spur, on the near side of which the ani- 

 mals were lying. Strict injunctions were given him to be 

 careful not to show himself until he had got well beyond 

 them, when he was to move across and let them get his wind. 

 Whilst this manoeuvre was being carried out, Changter and I 



