50 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



slowly to the opposite side of the ravine. Some 

 were already half-way up the opposite side, three 

 hundred yards away, and making the best of their 

 way with great bounds in the deep snow. Fifty 

 yards ahead of the first flight, and showing the 

 way, was our friend with the straight horns, who 

 was not to be caught napping, and had probably 

 been the one to start the panic. The big one was 

 not in sight, and an exultant thought shot through 

 me that he must be just below us, though out of 

 sight. Half a minute's intense expectation, and 

 he suddenly appeared not indeed below us, but 

 from behind a small under-feature about two hun- 

 dred and fifty yards away. He stood out coal- 

 black against the snow, but was already far for 

 a shot, and was going straight away from us. 

 " Shall I risk it or not?" I thought, and put the 

 question in words to Gul Sher. " Please yourself, 

 Sahib," he said, " but if you shoot and miss him 

 now, you II never see him again." 



He was a long way off by this time, and, terribly 

 disappointing though it was, I determined not to 

 shoot, but to try and get a better chance some 

 other day, though mechanically I followed him 

 with my rifle as he moved off. Suddenly he 

 stopped, turned broadside on, and looked round. 

 The sight of the rifle was covering him, and it was 

 in the inspiration of a moment that I raised 



