THE RIFLE FOUND INJURED 



335 



marigolds. The whole was surrounded by a wall about 

 3 feet high. About 12.30 we started with fresh ponies. 

 I was unable to get the local shikari Giato, of whom 

 Colonel Turnbull had told me, as he was said to be up 

 somewhere in the hills looking after the monastery 

 sheep, but I caused word to 

 be sent to him. The pony- 

 men said, however, they all 

 knew where gazelles were to 

 be had, so we set off. After 

 some miles on the plain, we 

 crossed the Hanle river and 

 went up into the mountains. 

 Here I saw an immense 

 number of kyang, counting 

 136 in one herd. 



Later on we sighted a 

 lot of gazelles, and I took 

 out my rifle, when, what was 

 my dismay to find that the 

 stock had got quite loose in 

 its socket near the breech. 

 I was unable to account for 

 this, as I had examined the rifle carefully the day the 

 shikari was thrown from his pony, and had found nothing 

 wrong. But whatever had happened on the 6th it was 

 wrong on the loth, which was very serious, as of course 

 I could not depend on the weapon in its then condition, 

 and I was not sure that I could repair it. However, 

 we started on the stalk, as I thought I would try whether 

 I could shoot at all with the rifle or not. After a long 



Tibet Gazelle (shot on 13th September) 

 (p- 351)- 



Length on curve, 12I". Circumference, 4I". 

 Tip to tip, sJ". 



(Measurements by Rowland Wahd.) 



