350 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



nalas and ridges, that I thought it quite impossible that 

 such astute creatures, as these had proved themselves to 

 be, would stay amongst them. So we did not get down 

 and walk, as we ought to have done, but went along, with 

 most reprehensible carelessness, on the ponies on which 

 we had ridden up. Suddenly, as we came to the crest of 

 a ridge, I saw the four antelope jump up about 60 yards 

 down the other side, and bolt to the left. I was off my 

 pony in a second, and having my rifle in my hands, sat 

 down on the ground and drew a bead on the last of 

 the four. Hoping they might stop to look back, I 

 waited, and the next moment they did so. They were 

 a long way off at the time, so putting up the 200 yards' 

 leaf, and taking a full sight, I fired. "Hit, hit!" said 

 the shikari, as all went off at racing speed. The one 

 at the tail of the four went for some 50 or 60 yards 

 in a diagonal direction (the herd had been crossing my 

 line of fire and going away from me at the same time), 

 and then lay down. We ran up to him, and found him 

 dying, with a bullet through the middle of the body. 



I wondered he was able to go as far as he did, with the 

 severe wound he was suffering from. His throat was cut 

 in the orthodox way by the Kashmiri, and the body then 

 packed on a pony and sent to camp in charge of Giato. 

 while Abdulla and I went up the hill after the three now 

 remaining. Before going, I stepped the distance from 

 where I fired to where this last buck was found, and it 

 proved just 417 paces. So, allowing for the distance he 

 ran, he could hardly have been less than 300 yards off when 

 hit. We followed the three for over an hour, but saw 

 no signs of them again, and got back to camp about 4 r.M. 



