150 GRAND OLD BUCKS. 



expense. So disheartened had I become from persistent ill- 

 luck and bad shooting, that it needed a good deal of persua- 

 sion on Eamzan's part to induce me to continue our pursuit 

 of the beasts ; for fatigue, disappointment, and bad weather 

 combined, were beginning to tell on my powers of endurance 

 and patience. " Try just a few more days, and our luck may 

 change," said the old man. Indeed he appeared so anxious 

 to cheer me up that it seemed almost as though he had some 

 presentiment of coming good fortune. 



Again we were toiling up the steep acclivities of the range 

 which is known by the very appropriate name of " Dook " 

 (trouble or pain). We had hardly been gone an hour when a 

 herd of large old bucks was suddenly descried in compara- 

 tively easy ground for a stalk. In a second we were all prone 

 on the earth ; but there was a troubled look about Ramzan's 

 face as he lay beside me anxiously watching the animals, and 

 my spirits sank to zero when he whispered, " They've seen 

 us." The glass was at once brought to bear on them, for they 

 were a considerable distance above us. There were six, all of 

 them carrying splendid sweeping horns, and to my inexpres- 

 sible delight I discovered that, for once, the old man was 

 wrong, as, after a short time, one of the beasts lay down, and 

 his example was soon followed by his companions. Inch by 

 inch we cautiously wormed our prostrate bodies backwards 

 until we reached the edge of a gully, in which we were hidden 

 from view of the herd, when Eamzan relieved his feelings of 

 doubt by taking a huge pinch of snuff. 



By following the long and steep windings of the gully, we 

 at length got within easy range of the animals. My sagacious 

 old companion, after carefully reconnoitring their position, 

 then sat down, and with a most self-satisfied air again applied 

 himself to his snuff-box, at the same time suggesting that, as 

 the ibex would be pretty safe not to move for some time, I 

 should wait for my nerves to get steady, and until I recovered 

 the breath I had lost during our scrambling stalk. He then 



