X IN THE SHEEP COUNTRY i8i 



enough vitality to run thus far with practically no heart left, 

 is a question I cannot answer ; but the fact remains that this 

 one did it. 



Late that night we roasted some ribs of the sheep on a 

 stick before the camp fire, and although freshly killed, the 

 meat, which was rolling in fat, was excellent. 



At daylight the following morning we were off again, 

 working almost the same line of country. Leaving Simeon 

 in camp to clean the skin of the ewe, I took Pitka, and by 

 noon we found ourselves sitting under the brow of a hill 

 where we spent some time looking in vain with the glasses 

 for a good ram. 



Suddenly I was roused by the well-known hum of a 

 ricochet bullet which passed over our heads. This was 

 followed by the sounds of several rifle-shots, and for a second 

 or two the fusilade was lively. I counted seven shots, but it 

 was impossible to tell exactly whence they came, owing to the 

 echo from the hills all round. However, as a string of lead 

 flying round is never very pleasant, I suggested to Pitka that 

 our position was getting " rather an unhealthy spot," to use 

 the words said to me by a celebrated American general on a 

 certain occasion when I was acting as " bear leader" to him, 

 and we found ourselves in the firing line which was attacking 

 a hill held by some 15,000 troops. It seems almost a pity to 

 have to add that this was only a sham fight during the great 

 English manoeuvres of 1898. 



In the case of Pitka and myself, the business was almost 

 too realistic for pleasure, but as there was not enough cover 

 to hide a mouse around us, there was not much to be done 

 save wait until we could see what or who was causing all the 

 trouble. Very soon I saw two small sheep coming over the 

 brow behind us ; they were both yearling rams, so far as I 



.^i^^uiriai 



