THE WOUNDED RAM 159 



to repeat "Baalou iok" though I must acknowledge 

 that he did his best to prove he was wrong. I felt 

 quite humbled at that moment, and was the first to 

 give up the search for invisible blood-tracks. 



Calling him away, we made for a small stream and 

 sat down to lunch. Of course our thoughts turned 

 upon the mess I had made of the whole business, and 

 I believe we hardly uttered a word, when Taba, who 

 was perpetually on the qui vive and constantly looking 

 round about him, pointed up a narrow gulley which 

 led down to the place where we sat. I could only 

 distinguish stones piled up one over the other, and 

 presently spotted one which seemed more yellow than 

 the others, about 300 yards off. Up went my " Zeiss," 

 followed by an exclamation, " Kotckkor /" The tide 

 had turned, and this time the triumphant looks were 

 on my side. We had been quietly sitting for the last 

 half-hour in full view of my wounded ram, nearly 

 within shot of him ! The brute was lying on the 

 stones with his head towards us, evidently very sick. 

 I loaded my rifle and was off in a second up the bed 

 of the torrent, hiding where I could. But the animal 

 was not dead yet, and as I was about to fire, got up 

 slowly and started away. I ran on as fast as my legs 

 could carry me, just in time to see him disappear 

 round a boulder. Naturally my two shots were of no 



