A GRAND OLD RAM 263 



I had come across there. Little Taba, who again 

 accompanied me, was still confident and sure of 

 success. We were to return in the evening to our 

 next camping-ground, which was to be on the other 

 side below the Nam Daba Pass. On reaching the 

 plateau, after an hour's ride from camp, we very soon 

 discovered a grand old ram lying amongst rocks 

 about two miles north of our camp. We thought 

 he had naturally seen us, as his head was turned in 

 our direction, and we were in full sight of him on 

 horseback at about 500 yards. Taba's idea was that 

 he might be my wounded beast, for his mighty horns 

 greatly resembled those of the one I had come across 

 a couple of days previously. According to Taba, the 

 only possible way to approach him was to ride on in 

 full view and slowly drop out of our saddles, whilst 

 his attention would be distracted by the ponies, which 

 were to be led in an opposite direction by my second 

 Kalmuk. This ruse was crowned with success, for 

 as we crept along behind the rocks we could see the 

 animal watching the ponies intently as they were 

 being led away. In this manner, and crawling on 

 all fours, I got without difficulty within a hundred 

 yards of his resting-place. As I drew nearer I judged 

 his horns, which were on the sky-line just before me, 

 to be close upon sixty inches, and just as I was pre- 



