io8 IBEX SHOOTING 



after five minutes Lassoo whispered : " Our 

 luck has gone to Ladak ; that bear has got 

 a suspicion that something is up, and he 

 won't come out of that till dark." " Well, 

 then, drop a stone or something to frighten 

 him, while I keep ready to fire," said I. 

 Muksooda dropped a small stone over the 

 edge of the cliff, and we heard it clattering 

 over the rocks, but no signs of the bear ; 

 then he tried a larger one no result ; and 

 finally, after five minutes, we were whistling 

 as loud as we could, and hurling rocks down 

 into the valley. Now, there being no ques- 

 tion that we had been discovered, we pro- 

 ceeded to extremes. Lassoo crept a few 

 feet down the cliff, and then fired into the 

 bush ; not a move. Then he took a careful 

 aim at the oak tree itself; bang went the 

 rifle ; thud came the answer, showing that 

 the bullet had hit the tree ; and the next 

 second old harput was bustling along, mak- 

 ing for the strip of birch jungle. I waited 

 my chance as he was going at full speed, 

 and then, as they always do, he stopped to 



