WATCHING FOR BURRELL. 421 



bed. Thence we got on pretty easily for a mile or two, keep- 

 ing a sharp look-out upward before crossing each steep gully 

 we came to, lest an avalanche of snow, or loose rocks and 

 stones, which at any moment might be expected, should come 

 down upon us. At last we neared the place where, from the 

 opposite side, we had seen the flock of burrell. We had just 

 rounded a corner, when a lot of ewes, which started up from 

 a ravine just beyond it, went scampering away, and almost 

 immediately after we saw the flock containing the two big 

 rams also moving quickly upward from the very place where 

 we had at first sighted it, having evidently taken alarm at 

 the flight of the ewes. This was very annoying ; but as the 

 second flock had not actually seen us, there was still a chance 

 of getting a crack at the rams before evening. Up and still 

 up the beasts continued slowly to ascend, until, after watch- 

 ing them for an hour or more, we finally lost sight of them 

 among the snow-fields above. As they would be pretty sure 

 to descend again in the evening to their feeding-ground, we 

 moved upward for some distance towards a commanding spot 

 from whence we could more easily watch their movements. 

 We were skirting a small coppice of birch and rhododendron 

 bushes, when a fine little buck musk-deer jumped up close to 

 us. As he stopped to look back I sent a bullet through him, 

 but had to follow up and give him a second shot before secur- 

 ing him. After relieving him of his musk-bag (which ought 

 always to be done at once), and hiding him from the birds of 

 prey, we continued our ascent to the spot where we intended 

 to wait for the burrell. 



Here I discussed my breakfast, and then commenced a 

 careful search with the telescope for our friends above. At 

 length I made them out, reposing on some bare rocks among 

 the snow-fields ; and with the glass I could discern the arch- 

 ing horns of one of the big fellows, standing out in relief 

 against a snow-bed, as he lay on a slab of stone below it. 

 For hours we waited there, every now and then taking a look 



