3G6 SHORT STALKS 



wliicli we found soon after. Lono- we soui>lit him in vain, 

 and, at lengtli, climbed to a spot wliicli commanded the 

 other face of the rido;e. Thence we made out a sohtaiir 

 who hjoked like the ' Soldier,' but as he was a long way off, 

 and lying down, we could not identify him in the usual 

 way. Now an unfortunate thing happened. We acci- 

 dentally startled a small band which had not previously 

 been seen by us, and I rashly took a long shot at them, 

 doino- no crood, and of course disturbino; the solitaire. 

 Immediately we turned our glasses towards him. It was 

 the three -leo-o'ed one himself. He had three others with 

 him, a very good buck, a doe and a kid. We watched 

 them till they lay down on the long slope of snow and 

 loose stones under the cliffs which overlook the pass. This 

 is very bad stalking ground from the smoothness of the slope 

 and the noise made in walkino- on the shoots of stones. The 

 two bucks lay down together at the bottom of the snow 

 slope, near to wdiich there is a pile of rocks which have 

 fallen from above, and slid down the snow. The approach 

 might have been managed very well if it had nut Ijeen 

 for the doe and kid, which lay down in a commanding 

 position, and one in which they must get the wind of any 

 one coming up behind the stony hummock. The weather 

 looked so uncertain that somethino; had to be dared. If 

 we waited till they fed in the evening, the gathering 

 clouds would probably interfere, so I had to take the risk 

 of their being put away by the doe when she got my wind. 

 By descending to the path which crosses the pass, and 

 remounting, I soon approached the position I desired, but, 

 as I expected, started the doe in doing so. Fortunately 

 the bucks did not, at first, sec her go. Now by rapid 



