THE HERD OF SEVENTEEN BURHEL 



camp, my frame of mind being anything but enviable. 

 I was extremely anxious to start for Srinagar, and I only 

 wanted a couple of fair specimens of burhel and uryal 

 to complete my bag. Here I had had a capital oppor- 

 tunity of getting the former, and had missed it shame- 

 fully, and I was naturally horribly disgusted with myself. 



One bit of luck, however, occurred that day. One 

 of the Rumbok shepherds had found the remains of the 

 uryal, which I believed I had hit on the 23rd, and had 

 brought in the head. This proved on measurement to 

 be a fine specimen, just over 34I- inches, and was evidently 

 that of the large ram I had fired at, as he was the best of 

 the four I saw. Apparently then the first bullet had hit 

 him, but being solid, had not expanded properly. The 

 body had been eaten by wolves, and of course the head 

 skin was lost. 



On the 27th we went back the way we had come down 

 on the 26th, and dropped into the nala of the preceding 

 day, where we had crossed it after my unsuccessful shots. 

 Going up a subsidiary ravine some distance, we stopped 

 half-way to have breakfast, as fuel and water were pro- 

 curable, and the spot was sheltered from wind. 



After this we went up to the top of the northern 

 ridge, and suddenly, as we were going round on to the 

 other slope, became aware of a herd of seventeen burhel 

 with some fair rams. We instantly sat down, and as the 

 position was such that the herd could see us if we moved, 

 we remained still, hoping it would go into some place 

 which would allow of a stalk. 



It was then about noon, and we had to sit there 

 till about 3 P.M., as the sheep kept, some lying down and 



