134 IN AN AWKWARD POSITION. 



in my own horsemanship as to make me wish to join the 

 sport, exciting as it appeared. 



The wretched weather had shown no signs of improvement, 

 until towards evening it began to clear up; so, whilst our 

 camp was being pitched, I started out for a stroll up the 

 bottom of the glen in hopes of getting a shot at an old Bruin. 

 We had not to go far ere we espied three in company, but 

 they managed to wind us before we could get within half a 

 mile of them.- Soon, however, we find another a monster 

 that looks like an ox as he grazes on a small grassy flat beside 

 the stream that runs down the glen. He is in a good place 

 for a stalk, and this time the wind is right. Under cover of 

 some detached blocks of stone strewn here and there about 

 the ground in his vicinity, we easily approach him within 

 twenty yards or so. The first shot, which is aimed, as I 

 imagine, well behind the shoulder, strikes, probably, too low, 

 for it only sends him off with a loud angry wugli. The second, 

 catching him in rear, has merely the effect of accelerating 

 his flight and making him grunt again. Away he shambles 

 across the stream, and then takes straight up a steep-sloping 

 snow-field, dyeing it with blood, until presently he begins to 

 show decided signs of distress. Without waiting to reload, as 

 I should have done, Ramzan and I start in pursuit with the 

 other rifle he is carrying. Under cover of a depression in 

 the snow -bed, running up parallel to his course, we soon 

 overhaul him, when I ply him with a third bullet. Loss of 

 blood now begins to tell, for this time he only makes a whin- 

 ing remonstrance, and after moving on a few paces again 

 pulls up. The contents of the remaining barrel elicit another 

 testy reply, as he slowly turns round and stands glowering 

 about him in a manner that seems to bode mischief. Luckily 

 for us, he has as yet neither seen nor got wind of us as we 

 crouch low behind the snow-bank. The business now begins 

 to get awkward, for we are very close to the brute, and below 

 him ; both rifles are empty, and I have stupidly left the am 



