A DILEMMA 187 



mandirig view from the plateau on which the sheep 

 were lying. If so, the stalk was possible, for I had 

 detected a hollow which led up to within a hundred 

 yards of them. So we toiled on, but found, on 

 peeping over the summit, that further advance would 

 mean certain failure, for the whole herd was in full 

 sight some 800 yards across the corrie. The rams 

 carried splendid heads, and two of them especially 

 were grand old patriarchs. In this dilemma we 

 decided to retrace our steps, and try the same ridge 

 further down the valley. Taba led the way back 

 in good order, and another half a mile lower down 

 we crossed the ridge, as we had expected, under 

 cover. We now entered a wide grassy nullah, which 

 I first carefully inspected, and, on seeing no sign of 

 the sheep, we made straight for the opposite side, 

 where a long ravine ran up to the very edge of the 

 plateau on which they were lying. But " there is 

 many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." I had 

 decided to leave the ponies at the bottom of the 

 valley with my " second horseman " and go on with 

 Taba. As we were half-way down the slope the 

 horses showed signs of nervousness, the cause of 

 which was soon explained, for on looking round I 

 saw a Wolf within 40 yards of us, crouching low on 

 a patch of snow, evidently on the warpath. As we 



