SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS 561 



to graze in their domains ; these Kasaks are of a very 

 low, degenerate stamp. This intermixing of the races 

 accounts for the fact that nearly all the Kalmuks can 

 talk Turki. On this first day in this new locality, 

 Carruthers took the ground across the river, while I 

 scoured the slopes to the north, and, as luck would have 

 it, he came upon numbers of rams, while I found a 

 large herd of ibex. 



Leaving camp when the last of the stars were still 

 struggling against the first streaks of dawn, my hunter 

 and I zig-zagged up to a lofty, commanding position. I 

 dignify my companion with the title of " hunter " ; but 

 he and all our other Kalmuk followers were quite useless 

 in this respect, though they were thoroughly willing, 

 and helpful in their knowledge of the country. A herd 

 of a dozen buck-ibex were feeding on a crest some way 

 above us, showing up well against the sky. There 

 seemed to be one or two fair heads among them, so, after 

 ascertaining that they were thoroughly settled in their 

 present position, we left them undisturbed, and con- 

 tinued our search for rams. 



A short way farther on we found nine rams. 

 Only one carried respectable horns, and I estimated them 

 to be short of fifty inches, but I determined to try for 

 him, as the meat would be acceptable any way, our 

 hungry crowd having already demolished the two beasts 

 so recently killed. While making this stalk, the rattle 

 of stones drew my attention to another lot of ten rams, 

 all strung out on a narrow sheep-track, crossing a steep 

 shale-slope above us. There was no mistaking the size 

 of one or two of those heads, but it was useless to attempt 

 to follow them up, as they were evidently thoroughly 

 alarmed ; led by a grizzled old fellow with fine curling 



