252 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



advance, when suddenly, about eighty yards below us, 

 an average-sized ram started up and stood staring at 

 us for some time. Unluckily, he had taken us un- 

 awares, and, my rifle being in its case, it took me 

 a few seconds to get ready to fire. While thus 

 engaged, the animal jumped over to another rock, 

 and stopping again gave me a doubtful chance. As 

 I fired he disappeared among the crags, and though 

 we rushed down to the place where we had seen 

 him last, we were unable to find him again. This 

 was indeed aggravating, for I had probably frightened 

 the one we had been following, and on resuming; our 

 course we naturally found that he had disappeared. 

 We continued our search over the rolling stones at 

 an altitude of about 11,000 feet, with many ups and 

 downs, examining numerous corries and gullies, with 

 the only result of finding a herd of six young Ibex 

 bucks, which were lying a few hundred yards below 

 us, and which we might have easily approached if 

 they had been worth shooting. 



At 2 p.m. we gave up all hope for that day, and 

 started back for camp, which we only reached at 

 six, after a four hours' long and dreary ride. On 

 the way back I found a half-rotten sheep's head of 

 gigantic size, and putting the tape to it I found it 

 to measure 63 inches in length by 20 inches girth. 



