A LUCKLESS PURSUIT 265 



about to fire, when he again rose and started off; 

 but here I was dead beat, and my two shots must 

 have been clean misses. Looking" round I saw no 

 sign of Taba ; as for the ram, he had trotted across 

 the nullah, and I remained perfectly helpless with 

 my second Kalmuk and the half-dead ponies, who 

 refused to advance another inch. I continued my 

 pursuit, however, and on coming in sight of the 

 next corrie found nothing in it, neither man nor beast. 

 Having spied every bit of ground, I stopped, for 

 further advance was useless. Retracing my steps 

 to the stream I was now in search of Taba, and 

 still hoped that he might bring back good news. 

 On the other side of the river stood tiers of in- 

 accessible crags, to which, if the ram had betaken 

 himself, further pursuit would be out of the question, 

 and this, I feared, was the case. Heavy showers 

 now came on, and I resolved to return home ; my 

 luck had evidently deserted me. On reaching once 

 more the scene of our wild pursuit, I suddenly caught 

 sight of Taba and his pony on the very top of the 

 opposite hill. Beckoning to him to come down, he 

 explained to me in great excitement that he had 

 seen the animal make for the bed of the stream, and 

 had tried unsuccessfully to cut him off from the other 

 side, where we should necessarily have lost him in 



