An Exciting Stalk. 



disappeared beneath the water ; it was only by angling him in 

 much the same way as the fisherman lands a salmon that he was 

 finally brought to the opposite bank. Our own crossing was 

 effected in the same way, an operation rather too exciting to be 

 pleasant. We then moved about three miles up the valley along 

 the left bank, and pitched camp in a sheltered clump of pines 

 with an abundance of firewood about. The weather hitherto 

 had been very good and quite conducive to successful shikar. 



On the 12 th we tried a nulkih leading off from the left bank 

 of the main valley, being able to ride much of the way, 

 a pleasing part of the day's programme, since there is always 

 sufficient walking and hard climbing. A mile or so up we tethered 

 the ponies in some brushwood and went off on foot to stalk a 

 herd of ibex sighted towards the head of the nullah. This ground 

 was, as usual, very broken, and intersected by small but deep 

 side ravines, through which we now proceeded to make our 

 way in pursuit of the herd grazing on some grass slopes beyond. 

 We were fairly high up and the ibex low down, so that to 

 get at them we should also have to descend, but first waited 

 to see which way they would turn before lying down for the 

 day. Soon the herd disappeared into a fold of the ground far 

 below us, so we judged it expedient to move down and endeavour 

 to get in touch with them. This we did very cautiously, being 

 assisted in our advance by the broken nature of the ground, 

 creeping down over successive rises and keeping a sharp look out 

 for the herd. Suddenly Nurah dropped like a stone to earth, I 

 following suit, as did Numgoon, who was just behind me. A 

 moment later the advance guard of the herd appeared out of the 

 rise in the ground immediately below us, so as it was hopeless 

 trying to get under cover we simply hung on, not daring to move, 

 though the "madeens," who headed the column, whistled 

 and looked all they must have felt at the strange apparition of 

 three mighty hunters, grim and dirty, out on the warpath. 



I was shooting with a small .303 rifle that day, a most handy 

 weapon, very light and easy to manipulate, and as I was in a 



