48 AN IKTEKLOPING LEOPAKD. 



for : a leopard had sprung amongst them. 

 He had missed his victim, but the scattered 

 hair fresh torn from one of the flock, and the 

 prints of tlie leopard's fore-feet, were plain 

 proofs of his having shared and spoilt our 

 stalk. 



Sadly disapi^ointed, nothing was to be 

 done but to follow as fast as we could, we 

 came up with them again as they were 

 ascending some rocks. SejDarating from each 

 other, Wilson took one part of the hill, I keep- 

 ing away to his right. He got a capital shot, 

 and I had a long one. The tahir I hit was 

 unluckily on the verge of a tremendous pre- 

 cipice, and fallmg over the rocky ledge we 

 never found him. Wilson wounded a fine 

 old male, and I watched him with the glass 

 till he lay down. It was too late to try for 

 him. that night, so we pointed him out to my 

 little Goorkha sepoy, and made the best of 

 our way home to the tent, for the sun was 

 nearly set, and the mountain bad enough 

 to climb, was worse to get down. We 

 arrived just at dark. 



