36 IBEX SHOOTING 



sides ; this Lassoo had somehow or other 

 divined, and hence his fears. 



" Allah be praised, we are safely over, 

 and now I think we shall get him," said 

 Lassoo, while a handful of fine snow dust 

 thrown up showing the wind to be still 

 from the game, and towards us, proclaimed 

 our chances good. Onward we crept till 

 we reached the place from which Lassoo 

 expected to see them ; there we halted and 

 loaded the rifle. Lassoo then crept on, 

 alone, but soon shook his hand to show 

 that he had seen nothing; then, with a 

 blank look on his face threw up a little 

 snow dust ; it blew towards the ibex ! The 

 wind had changed! or there was a local 

 eddy! I, too, felt that the wind was on 

 the back of my wet neck and not on my 

 face, as before. Lassoo wriggled on like 

 a worm, peered round the corner for a 

 second, and then came quickly back ; and 

 as he passed me whispered, " Come along, 

 sahib, as hard as you can, I've seen him; 

 they have winded us, and are going slowly 



