A NEW HUNTER 251 



had left for their respective homes with our old 

 horses and men. Towards evening- Littledale came 

 back and reported that he had found a herd of 

 seventeen rams, and had followed them over two 

 or three ridges, but unsuccessfully. The night was 

 exceedingly cold, promising a fine day for the 

 morrow. I consequently started early, on July 26th, 

 with a new hunter, whom the Zaissan had brought 

 with him. and of whom he had given me a good 

 account. My intention was to try to find the herd 

 Littledale had seen on the previous day. We passed 

 over the same rolling hills as on my first attempt 

 from this camp, and on reaching a small river 

 followed it down for about eight miles, then ascend- 

 ing a steep slope, where, according to Littledale's 

 account, he had left the rams. I began spying the 

 country beyond, but though I carefully inspected 

 every corner of the nullah, my glass revealed nothing. 

 On the sky-line to my left, however, and high above 

 us, a moving object attracted my attention ; I found 

 it to be a fair ram, and, presuming that there might 

 be others behind the ridge, we started in his direction. 

 The wind was very unsteady, and we were obliged, 

 therefore, to circumvent the hill for a couple of hours 

 in order to get to leeward. Leaving the ponies under 

 a rocky ridge suggestive of Ibex, I continued to 



