68 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



the nearest and easiest our pale-coloured friend 

 of the morning. He was lying facing down-hill, 

 and I had his back only to aim at, a shot not 

 to be taken if it can be avoided. I had learnt 

 by bitter experience, however, that an attempt 

 to bring urial to their feet with a whistle only 

 results in a stampede, without a half -second's 

 pause in which to aim. 



The rifle was cautiously poked over, the trigger 

 pressed, and with the report the ram sprang to his 

 feet but immediately collapsed. 



The herd was off in a cloud of dust with a tre- 

 mendous clatter of stones. They disappeared be- 

 hind the next ridge, and almost at once reappeared 

 going up the opposite side of the valley. Said the 

 shikari, looking through his glasses, " Mark the 

 ram last but one of the herd." The distance was 

 still not great, and the ram started to the shot 

 evidently hit, and slowed down ; the next shot 

 went high, but before I could get in another he 

 stopped altogether, his legs crumpled up under- 

 neath him, and he rolled down the hill. 



Evening was coming on and there was no time 

 to be lost, so we quickly cached the two rams' 

 bodies and started for camp, taking the direct road 

 down the valley instead of climbing back the way 

 we had come. We soon repented this course, as 

 the ravine presently became a gorge, forming, 



