SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS 557 



crests are fringed by thickets of willow, poplar, and much 

 rich grass. 



We called a two days' halt in one of these delightful 

 spots, while we made a thorough exploration of the 

 surroundings. Carruthers ransacked the higher nullahs 

 for ibex, while I scoured the lower slopes in search of 

 rams. A female ibex and a ewe were shot for food, 

 also five wolves. In those two days J must have seen 

 not less than three hundred ewes and young, but not 

 a single ram. 



Carruthers saw a few female ibex, and a stag with 

 fine horns, though, of course, still in velvet. Ibex ground 

 without any tree in sight is a curious place to see a stag ; 

 it had probably fled there for protection from the native 

 hunters, who at this season would be busy among the 

 northern forests. 



All the wolves in the neighbourhood seemed to have 

 collected in the vicinity of this abundant meat-supply, 

 for I saw no less than fourteen in the two days. On 

 the first evening we surprised an old wolf and six well- 

 grown cubs on the prowl ; after watching them for some 

 time sniffing at marmot-holes, and playing on the hill- 

 side, I shot two of the cubs, whose fur, though short, 

 was in beautiful condition. 



On the next morning, having crawled to the top of 

 a ridge quite close to our camp, I saw an enormous wolf 

 coming straight towards us up the opposite slope, evi- 

 dently hurrying home after a nocturnal foray. He 

 did not see us, so, allowing him to come within forty 

 yards, I bowled him over as he stopped for a moment to 

 look back over his shoulder. Not long after this, while 

 riding high up on the hillside, our attention was directed 

 by loud yaps and snarls to the valley below. It was a 



