264 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR 



myself, and there were three heads to be skinned and 

 cleaned. So we had a quiet day at Sangtha, and I saw 

 to the heads and mended my chaplis. 



The following day (the 26th) we went in a south- 

 easterly direction, having arranged for the 30-lb. tent 

 and some necessaries to follow us in case we should 

 be delayed. At nine o'clock we sighted a solitary ram 

 moving ahead of us. Judging from his appearance, 

 and from his being alone, he was probably the one left 

 unshot of the three we had seen together on the 24th. 

 We followed him up for some time, but finally lost him 

 round the shoulder of a hill, where we had hoped to 

 intercept him. 



While searching the hillsides from this spot, we saw a 

 couple of rams grazing in a nala about two miles off. As 

 there seemed no chance of their moving away — they 

 were grazing indiscriminately about- — we resolved to 

 have breakfast, and go after them later. Accordingly, a 

 fire of dapshang roots and kyang droppings was lighted 

 in a hollow, and my mutton fried and kettle boiled as 

 usual. 



Then about 10 a.m. we started for the ravine in 

 which the rams had been seen. We soon came in siorht 



o 



of them again. Neither was a good head, but the larger 

 of the two seemed to me to have 30-inch horns at the 

 least, and I resolved to try for a shot. While I was 

 examining his horns through the telescope, a shower 

 of rain came on, and rendered it difficult to make a 

 decently accurate estimate. It was still raining as we 

 approached the side of the nala, but a few minutes after 

 the rain had cleared off. Looking about from the top of 



