UN Tiii': ui.M oi' rill': |)i:skiit \-ii 



old All li» tr\' the iicaivst and iiio>t pivcipilnii> ]i;iil (ifllu' 

 range. The rest of us, after the delays w hidi generally 

 aecom|>aii\' luggage, got oil' an hour later with the mules 

 and canip iraiu. and had not gunc I'ar across the jdain 

 wluMi we saw ni\- son aud his com])ani<)ns still on a nt'igh- 

 bourinu' rise. We wcul across and found a souicwliat 

 mixed altercation proceeding, whii-ji. as iKnie of the three 

 could speak the laniruaire of the diliers. was not surorisino-. 

 Old Ali was at the hottom of the mischief. He declared 

 that it was inipossihle to go uptln' mountain exccjil l)\' tla; 

 path, lull as thefewas ((l)\-ioiisl\' no ditlieullw he was made 

 to understand that he could take his cdioiee LeLwecn ii'oino- 

 as he was liid. nv fcturning to the tents of his fathei's. This 

 imp of mischief elected to go, and it would have been 

 better if he had never been born, for on this very first 

 nioi'inno; such a^ chance offered as did not soon recui-. and 

 he spoiled it. Tliex' had scarcely got well into the ra\ ines 

 with which the fange is seameil. wlidi they spied some 

 nioullons, one of which, a laro-e ram, la\' in a position 

 most fav^onrable for a stalk. They were so eagerly engaged 

 in determining the best line of approach, which was bv no 

 means ditficult. that tlie\- did not pav any hceil to their 

 foljuwci'. I.ookinu found, to then' liorroi' llie\' lnund that 

 he had o-oue off on his own account. His intentions were 

 no doubt innocent, but the result was disastrous. Jle prob- 

 ably thought that the Englishman could not ]">os>il)Iy get 

 near the game unaided, ami \\(»uM he much ph'a-e(l if the 

 Uanic should come to him. It was about a huiiilred to one 

 against this lia])]ieiiing : >tdl he would try. and. slipping 

 off, he succeeiled, in about ten minutes, in showing himself 

 and giving the wind at the same time. Twenty minutes 



