154 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



things. I had considerable difficulty in getting local 

 coolies to go, but with the aid of the lambardar of Khaltar 

 succeeded at last. 



On the 1 6th we went northwards along the top of the 

 plateau till the ground changed its flat character, and 

 began to rise in height and break up into rocky masses. 

 Examining the hillside below as we went along, we 

 presently saw a small herd of ibex with two males in it 

 coming up. 



We watched the herd for some time, and then seeing 

 the direction it was taking, Abdulla and I started to 

 intercept it, going as noiselessly as possible down the 

 hill. When we had descended some 200 feet or so, we 

 crept up to the roots of a birch, and raising my head 

 gradually, I found myself face to face with an ibex lying 

 on a rock below about 60 yards off, and looking up at 

 me. As only a part of my head could have been visible 

 to him, he evidently could not make out what it was 

 exactly he saw, and sat still, watching intently. None of 

 the others had cauQfht siofht of us. 



I slowly brought up the Lee-Metford into position, and 

 aiming at the animal's shoulder fired. He jumped up and 

 started off downhill, but fell on to his head twice in going, 

 and I knew he was badly hit. Seeing the other buck 

 going off with the females, I ran down to a lower position 

 from which the view was less hampered by trees, and fired 

 at him with the 200 yards' sight up as he was going from 

 me. He continued running as if nothing had happened, 

 and a little further on stood still and looked back over 

 his shoulder. I put up the 300 yards' sight, and had 

 another shot, whereupon all disappeared. We then went 



