32 SHORT STALKS 



The leader had his heels in the air before he could cross 



it. G 's shot also seemed to tell. Then I tried to 



get into a sitting position for a steady shot when they 

 should reappear in the next opening, but I forgot how 

 steep the hill was, and rolled clean over backwards, heels 

 over head, and only recovered myself to lire a futile shot. 

 Again I got into position with the bead on the sky-line, 

 feeling sure that one or another would turn there to look 

 for his scattered companions. Exactly so ! A massive 

 pair of shoulders and horns clear cut against the sky ! 

 Click — I had forgotten to put a cartridge in. Egregious 

 duffer ! fot-head ! tender-foot ! Pile on the epithets — you 

 will never have such another chance. Casting a hasty 

 glance at the dead mouflon we followed up the trail, and 

 soon found blood on the snow, which quickly led us to the 

 body of another. AVe had two beauties at any rate, but 

 we ouo;ht to have had the lot. 



These two had heads which are not easy to beat, but 

 there were two or three veterans about, with heads as wide 

 and strong, and, in addition, with the outward turn of the 

 tips of the horns, which gives such a character to some of 

 the Asian shee}), and, more rarely, to the American big- 

 horn. AVe were greedy for one of these, and for many 

 days counted all else as " trash ; " l)ut they set quite as 

 much value on their trophies as we did. One day we 

 spied such a one, well placed on the opposite slope of a 

 deep valley. He had others nearly as good in his 

 company as well as some ewes, but we recked not of 

 them. A solemn resolution was agreed to, to spare no 

 time or trouble to get this fellow ; and having so re- 

 solved, we immediately broke it. The first difficulty was 



