388 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



he knew of. The strong wind was blowing from them 

 to us, and that was how the coohe's call to us had not 

 been heard by the animals. Two had fair heads and the 

 third was small. I made my way down to a rock, which 

 was about i 20 yards or so from them, as well as I could 

 estimate, and resting the rifle on the rock aimed at the 

 largest. But the rock was a high one, and I had to 

 stand upright behind it without being able to rest 

 against it, a most- unsatisfactory position with such a 

 strong wind as was then blowing. Finding I could not 

 get the rifle steady, I ought to have sought for some 

 other rest, but instead I thought I would chance it, and 

 accordingly let drive, and^ — missed ! 



The rams jumped up and ran forward a few steps 

 towards the left, not knowing, in the least, where the 

 shot had come from. I hastily fired again, and again 

 missed. The three thereupon ran towards where I was, 

 and as they were disappearing behind a rock below, and 

 when about 60 yards off, I once more fired and missed. 

 I ran downwards to try and see them again, but they 

 had passed away to my right, and when I saw them next 

 they were about 300 yards off and going hard. I had a 

 last despairing shot at them as they went round a corner, 

 and then lost sight of them. 



I cannot describe my feelings at having missed the 

 excellent chance I had had. It was about as bad a piece 

 of shootino: as I had ever done. I don't know whether 

 the shaky stock put me off, or what the cause was, but 

 the shooting could not have been more execrable. We 

 then descended into the nala, climbed the ridge that 

 separated us from Rumbok, and dropped down to our 



