CATCHING AN OVIS ASLEEP. 329 



hills also were considered a favourite resort of Omn Ammon, 

 and our camp there would be within reach for a long beat 

 over the eastern end of the Lai Daka range, which was 

 separated from them by a level expanse some six miles wide. 

 After packing off the jooboos, I started with Puddoo and a 

 spare man to look after our friends of the previous evening. 

 They were still near where we had last seen them, the two 

 rams having apparently joined company with the flock of six. 

 We contrived to get within 150 yards of them, but the shot 

 was so downward that I had only the width of their backs to 

 aim at. The first bullet went clean over a big fellow, upon 

 which they all started off, but, after going a few yards, stood 

 to look about them. Again my shot went high and missed, 

 and this time they departed for good. We watched the re- 

 treating animals with silent disappointment until they were 

 out of sight ; but as such things will happen, there was no 

 use grieving over my misfortune, so I sat down and consoled 

 myself with my breakfast and a pipe, hoping for better luck 

 next time. I had probably forgotten to allow for the flight 

 of a bullet being less acted upon by the rarefied air at such 

 an altitude, and so had used too high a sight. 



After resting for a short while, we moved on eastward 

 along the range, and had not gone far when Puddoo, who 

 had been searching about with the telescope, discovered a 

 magnificent old ram, lying alone, within half a mile of us ; 

 and, for a wonder, the ground was most favourable for 

 circumventing him. When Puddoo got really excited over 

 a stalk, he had a habit of slowly lifting the corners of his 

 long woollen coat-tails and carefully tucking them one by 

 one into his belt. By the time he had tucked all four 

 corners up, we had got within 100 yards of the ram as he 

 lay close to the edge of a small projecting slope below us, 

 stretched out at full length on his side, with his back 

 towards us, and his ponderous horns resting on the ground. 

 For once I had caught an Ovis Awmon napping ! A slight 

 noise, unfortunately made in some manner, betrayed our 



