STALKING TAHIE. 47 



a little, smoking considerably, and talking 

 incessantly. 



We were all to start in the morning over 

 the hill to Jalah ; so up early and called on 

 my sleeping companions to arise. But I 

 called in vain : tu-ed of the hill, they had 

 changed their minds, and Wilson and I had 

 to start alone ; leaving them to return by a 

 short cut to the Ganges and follow the regu- 

 lar road to Jalah. Wilson sent his small tent 

 over the hill for our use, and we began our 

 day high in hope and spirits. Tahir were 

 numerous on the hill, but in spite of all our 

 toil, yesterday's ill-fortune still followed us. 

 Towards the end of the day, we found two fine 

 flocks feeding below us, and from the lay of 

 the ground had every chance of getting within 

 sixty yards of them ; anxiously and carefully 

 we approached them, and were finishing our 

 stalk with every probability of success, when 

 in an instant we saw the whole of them 

 going ofl" Derby pace. On reaching the spot 

 where they had been feeding, their unex- 

 pected panic and svidden rush were accounted 



