THE OVIS POL? OF THE PAMIR 371 



level) I found that I could not shoot unless I had been walking 

 with the greatest circumspection, it was necessary to recall him 

 now and again by this simple and easy system of telegraphy. 



Keeping well out of sight along the ridge, we found a little 

 watercourse down which we could descend without being seen, 

 and having carefully searched every inch of ground to make 

 sure that there was no other Poli in our path who might spoil 

 our stalk, we crept down to within three hundred yards of where 

 we had last seen our three rams. Here the Kirghiz took off 

 his sandals, while I took the Henry double Express out of its 

 cover, made sure that all was ready, and then handed it back 

 to him, as every extra pound to carry adds to the difficulty of 

 keeping your breath. 



I was shod in tennis shoes, with red rubber soles three- 

 quarters of an inch thick, to my mind the very perfection of 

 foot-gear for stalking, as they are perfectly noiseless, will out- 

 wear two ordinary leather soles among the rocks, and are only 

 dangerous on snow or ice. 



Softly as mice we crept up the slope of a little ridge on the 

 further side of which we had last seen the Poli. Our man on 

 the hill made no sign, so that all was right so far. A little 

 short of the top, I took the rifle and crept up the last few yards 

 alone. Peeping over the top, I could just see the tip of a horn 

 behind a rock about one hundred yards below. Taking off my 

 cap to place my rifle upon it, for if fired resting on a rock 

 without a pad the jar would send the bullet wide, I cocked 

 the weapon and lay there waiting. 



The wind was right and the moment they moved they 

 were at my mercy. Whilst waiting I sent the Kirghiz about 

 ten yards to my right to see if he could make out in which 

 position the big one was lying, as from my point of view they 

 were half hidden, and it was difficult to say for certain which 

 was the big head. 



Suddenly up they jumped and stood for one morneni 

 looking up the hill. The big one was end on, facing me, but I 



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