352 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



The report was followed by a violent scrambling, whieh led 

 me to believe be was breaking- away; but be had scarcely 

 emerged from his place of concealment before he pitched 

 forward on his horns, as if he were dead. On seeing this, 

 I advanced towards him, and laid my rifle on the ground 

 within twenty feet of him, as I intended to use mv knife 

 for cutting his throat; but what was my surprise to see 

 him bound suddenly to his feet when I drew near him, and 

 break away for a mass of crags that rose abruptly upward 

 from the mountain a few yards away ! I was taken aback so 

 much at this unlooked-for movement that I merely gazed at 

 his retreating form in blank amazement until it disappeared 

 amid the rocks. The meditation that I indulged in after he 

 had vanished would never take me among the angels, for I 

 was actually disgusted at my own bad shooting and stupidity; 

 but I became calmer after awhile, and then resolved to have 

 that ram if I followed him for a year and a day. 



Starting out again, I crawled through the grass, wriggled 

 past rocks, and craned my neck until it ached, and iinally 

 reached a shelter from which I could see the horns once 

 more. Taking a most deliberate aim at the lowest portion of 

 them visible, I fired, and not hearing any noise after the report, 

 I concluded I w r as successful that time, and felt delighted 

 accordingly. Advancing boldly, I saw my tough old brave 

 lying on the ground, and seizing him joyously by the horns, 

 I turned the head around to have a look at his grizzled 

 features; but I had no sooner done so than he scrambled to 

 bis feet, and giving me a dig in the stomach that doubled me 

 up, and sent me sitting, in the most violent manner, on 

 some of the sharpest stones I ever remember resting upon, 

 scampered away, and vanished behind a huge boulder like a 

 spectre. 



I sat on the ground for a short time after the bump, in order 

 to practise a-few wry faces; then arose calmly and deliberately, 

 and after indulging in a few orisons ! for the welfare of the or/tx, 

 and rubbing myself vigorously, 1 seized my rifle, and strode 

 forward with the most determined idea of making that ram 

 pay dearly for so unceremoniously oifering me such a seat, 



