264 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



paring- to shoot, he started up and gave me a very 

 doubtful chance, of which I availed myself, however, 

 and fired. As he made off I could plainly see that 

 I had smashed his shoulder, and that besides one of 

 his hind-legs was stiff, which confirmed our suspicion 

 that he was our old friend which I had wounded on 

 the 29th. To our dismay he continued moving on at 

 a slow pace, looking round now and again, till he- 

 disappeared over a ridge. The ponies had now come 

 up, and we galloped across the corrie as hard as we 

 could go. We came up just in time to see my ram 

 walking over the next ridge. On we went at full 

 gallop, heading towards a mass of rock, under which 

 we hoped he might lie down ; but, alas ! nothing- 

 would induce him to stop, and again we saw him 

 toiling up the opposite slope. He must have noticed 

 our proceedings, and felt that he was being pursued. 

 We then decided to dodge round out of sight of him, 

 and, following up a small stream, meet him before he 

 got to the next ridge, for which he was evidently 

 making. The ponies were now exhausted, but we 

 urged them on, and dismounted close to the bed 

 of the stream. Half an hour brought us to the top 

 of the ridge, below which I soon spied my animal 

 lying on the slope where we had last seen him. 

 Approaching with the greatest caution, I was just 



