ii8 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



they then presented me with some walking-sticks, one 

 of which I shall have mounted with a gold tiger's head. 

 The delight of the poor people at seeing that the ' she 

 devil ' was dead quite repaid me for the ugly job of 

 sitting over the sweet-flavoured buffalo. Love to all." 



Wednesday, 2gth April. I started on the old 

 Cabool about two o'clock, and arrived at the old hut 

 about four. I immediately set off with H.'s Lascar, 

 taking Purdey and Moore for the upper crags, in hopes 

 of ibex, but saw none. On the way home, after the sun 

 had set and the moon was up, the Lascar spied two 

 hinds walking against the sky-line ; having promised 

 Michael some feet for jelly, I proceeded at once on my 

 moonlight stalk. With little trouble, the wind being 

 good, I crept within 60 yards of them ; but the light 

 was so trying I missed clean with my first barrel, but 

 made a capital shot with the second, bowling the 

 largest hind over like a hare, as she went full speed 

 against the sky-line. The distance was about 80 

 yards. Like an ass I fired one barrel of Moore after 

 the others (another had joined them), but as usual did 

 no good. I never will be able to shoot with this gun. 



Thursday, ^oth April Having despatched the 

 Lascar and two coolies for the feet, etc., of the hind I 

 shot last night, Francis and I started in the gray of the 

 morning for the little ibex rocks. Hamilton had 

 advised me to take this route in hopes of coming across 

 an old bull bison that was said to haunt these woods. 

 As we approached the ground, tracks of deer became 

 very numerous, but not a sign of a bison. But though 

 lots of sambur had fed over the ground during the 

 night not one was to be seen now, early as it was. 

 Seeing this, we pushed on to the slopes on which 

 Hamilton once shot a very handsome stag, whose head 



