A HERD OF RAMS 133 



Grouse around the camp. We found some in the 

 neighbourhood, and brought back a brace. These 

 grouse were not shy, and kept running before us even 

 after the shot. Littledale returned at 6 p.m. with 

 the head of a fair ram, which he had secured out 

 of a herd of ten, probably the same herd he had spied 

 before on the slopes of the main valley. He had 

 failed to find any sign of the wounded one, and I 

 was astonished that he got anything at all, con- 

 sidering the gale that never ceased blowing all day. 



On the following day, the weather not being settled 

 enough for shifting camp, and my wife being very 

 keen to see the wild sheep in their haunts, we started 

 together as early as possible in the direction of the 

 Happy Valley, taking with us Taba and another 

 hunter. Littledale had kindly conceded to me the 

 monopoly of Taba, who was undoubtedly the best 

 man we had, contenting himself with Lepet, whom 

 he considered next best. We crossed the same 

 ground well known to me, and as we were following 

 up the bed of the stream a herd of rams, about sixteen 

 in number, came into view. They had lain clown 

 a mile ahead of us in a place which we could not 

 possibly approach. The buttresses at the entrance of 

 the nullah were too distant, and further advance was 

 impracticable, for the animals had full command of the 



