AGAIN ON THE WARPATH 253 



This was the largest I had ever seen. Littledale 

 had returned with a small head, and reported a 

 herd of about twenty, with one good one, as he 

 thought, but he failed in his stalk. 



It rained the whole of the next day, so everyone 

 remained in camp. Towards evening Joseph came 

 back from Kosh-Agatch, but to our great disappoint- 

 ment brought neither letters nor papers. We had 

 instructed him to bring back a good supply of 

 maccaroni, as we had run short of vegetables ; but 

 instead of that we found several boxes of matches, 

 which had been packed up in similar cases, hence 

 the error — most aggravating to empty stomachs. 



The following day the weather cleared up again, 

 and at 4 a.m. I was once more on the warpath. This 

 time I turned my attention to the darker-looking hills, 

 which I thought were a continuation of the backbone 

 of the Happy Valley. In these regions I had found 

 both Ibex and Sheep, and there was every reason 

 to believe that I might come across more. I intended 

 to go further this time, and investigate the numerous 

 nullahs I had as yet only seen from afar. As my 

 wife was very anxious to get a shot, Littledale 

 obligingly suggested that he should take her out, 

 and they started together in the direction of the 

 Lake Valley. We actually rode, my hunters and I, 



