TWO IBEX BAGGED 



Borrowing my hunting-knife for the purpose, the 

 " k shikari " first cut off the head, then, with the assistance of 

 the coolie and an old penknife, proceeded to remove the 

 skin from the carcass. 



This operation necessarily occupied some time, and 

 being finally completed, they cut up the body as skilfully 

 as a butcher would a sheep, into ordinary joints, which 

 they wrapped up in the skin, and the coolie then placing 

 the bundle on his head, started off for camp. 



We were now free to continue the day's " sport," and 

 I soon sighted the herd we had originally proposed stalking ; 

 they were still on the same ridge, but had moved on to a 

 knoll about half a mile away, and the wind being favourable, 

 we decided on stalking them at once. The ground, too, 

 was fortunately in our favour, as between us and the knoll 

 there was a depression in the ridge which would enable us 

 to get within range without being observed. 



Descending cautiously till we were out of sight of them, 

 we did the rest of the distance at a run, and climbing the 

 opposite side, found ourselves within easy distance of a 

 buck which was standing nearer than the rest. We had so 

 suddenly come upon him that I had no time to think, but 

 raising the rifle quickly just covered him and fired. He 

 sank down on to his knees, and rolling over was too 

 evidently dead to need the second barrel. 



Though smaller than the first, he was quite a respectable 

 sized beast, with a head seemingly little inferior to the other; 

 and much pleased at having secured two such trophies 

 in one day, I presented the " shikari " with " bukshish " 

 on the spot. But I made it a condition that he should 

 carry the heads to camp, as I was impatient to compare 

 them ; the rest of the carcass we hung up in a tree, pro- 

 posing to send for it next morning. 



We had a long trudge back to camp, where we found 

 the coolie had arrived with the " meat," a portion of which 

 my servant had apparently annexed and was very evidently 

 boiling for my dinner ! In another corner of the camp, 

 similar operations were proceeding, suggestive of an orgie 

 to be held later in the night, when " master " had gone to 

 sleep. 



But I must go on with my talc, the strangest part of 



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