256 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



that we found ourselves safely back. Littledale and 

 my wife had just returned. They gave me an account 

 of how they had got within 200 yards of a herd of 

 rams which were already on the move ; she had fired 

 five shots at the running animals, but none apparently 

 were hit. Littledale added that he had noticed two 

 or three magnificent heads amongst them, and was 

 most anxious to go out next day in search of them. 



Weather being fine, on the morning of July 29th, 

 Littledale and I started towards the higher range 

 to the left of camp. My intention was to try the 

 ground straight ahead over the Nam Daba Pass. 

 On my way, Taba pointed out to me a couple of 

 rams, three or four hundred yards in front of us, of 

 which one was a fine old fellow, whilst the other, a 

 smaller, seemed to be wounded. Creeping up to 

 within 150 yards, further advance seemed impossible, 

 so I took my shot at the smaller animal and ended 

 his sufferings by rolling him over. As this was 

 close to the ground where my wife was shooting the 

 previous day, I concluded that the beast had been 

 wounded by her, and accordingly sent my second man 

 with the head and meat back to camp with the un- 

 expected tidings. 



Taba and I then advanced in the direction of the 

 larger sheep, which we found again making off 



