348 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



seemed to divine that we wanted to drive them into the 

 ravine, for when they came near its edge they kept along 

 it, instead of going downwards, and then turned up the 

 hill in front of us. As soon as they had gone over the 

 crest (they stayed for a long time on the crest itself, 

 watching us apparently) we went up the hill, keeping to 

 the left in hopes to cut them off. But we had only gone 

 half-way up when we saw them debouch on the plain 

 a long way to our left, and therefore once more in a 

 position of absolute safety. Evidently they had started 

 off at top speed the moment they were beyond the 

 crest and out of our sight, knowing that in the nalas 

 there they were in more or less danger. As a matter 

 of fact, if they had gone slowly we should have in- 

 tercepted them and got a shot, or if I had known their 

 habits better, I should have rushed up as soon as they 

 were out of sight, and met them galloping down. But 

 the Kashmiri had seen nothing of this kind of shooting, 

 and Giato was apparently incapable of drawing the 

 necessary conclusions. The four shortly joined the 

 three, and the combined herd began grazing again, once 

 more absolutely indifferent to our presence on the hill- 

 side above them. The question again arose what was 

 to be done. 



Looking south as we were then standing, there was 

 a spur of a chain behind projecting into the plain, 

 and it was suggested by Abdulla that I should go up 

 this spur by a detour to the right, and that the remain- 

 ing three should endeavour to urge the seven bucks 

 towards me. Nobody having any better suggestion to 

 make, this was agreed to, and I went off on a tramp 



