TIGERLAND 



in the country, where game, though still abundant, is 

 often difficult to obtain owing to the stupidity of the 

 people. 



But to proceed with my story. Acting on this informa- 

 tion I resolved to camp out for a week end, as soon as I 

 could manage it. Accordingly, one Thursday afternoon, 

 a week or two later, I set out, arriving at my camp a little 

 after sunset, and halted for the night. 



The next day I started at 2 a.m., and after a long, 

 laborious climb, reached the " feeding grounds " of the 

 ibex about 4.30. Here I waited patiently, concealed 

 behind a rock, till 6, when, just as the dawn was breaking, 

 I saw two herd of ibex on the opposite hill. One was a 

 very large one, but the other, though much smaller, 

 interested me the most, for it was nearer, and I thought I 

 could distinguish a buck or two amongst them. 



I questioned the " shikari," and as he and a coolie we 

 had with us were both of the same opinion, I decided to 

 stalk the smaller herd. 



We had to exercise the greatest caution, for there is no 

 animal in India more wary than the ibex, its sense of sight 

 and smell being keen beyond belief. The wind was not 

 quite favourable where we were, so leaving our shelter 

 behind the rock, we crept cautiously down our hill, and 

 making a long detour, climbed the one on which the herd 

 were feeding. Being now on the same ridge as the ibex, 

 and with the wind blowing directly from them, we could 

 make our stalk with less risk of our presence being detected. 



The herd, when we first sighted it, was about five 

 hundred yards away from us, but in making our detour 

 we had considerably increased this distance, and were now 

 about one thousand yards behind it. Following the ridge 

 for some distance, ascending all the time, we had nearly 

 reached its highest point when the "shikari," who was 

 leading, halted suddenly, making a sign for me to go on. 



" Master see goat on top," he whispered as I passed him, 

 a statement which made me somewhat nervous, thinking 

 he meant they were on the summit. 



However, picking my footsteps carefully, I commenced 

 clambering up the hill, which for the last twenty yards or 

 so was exceedingly precipitous ; at length, breathless from 

 168 



