H4 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



snow. Suddenly, seeming to scent danger in 

 front, he turned half left and up the glen. A 

 few gigantic bounds brought him, with an ava- 

 lanche of snow and stones, to the bottom of the 

 valley, across which he dashed and was lost to 

 view. Two or three shots had been fired as 

 soon as it was seen he was not going into the 

 rock face, but he was not touched ; and I was 

 glad to think he might live to add a few more 

 inches to his magnificent spread of horns, enjoy 

 a few more seasons of courtship, and then die 

 in a more befitting manner. 



Of course the grumbles in the butt were 

 loud and not less sincere, and every one blamed 

 every one else for having moved or showed them- 

 selves at the critical moment. The big markhor 

 of the herd had escaped, and it now became 

 apparent also, from the shouts and yelps getting 

 fainter and fainter, that the rest of the herd had 

 somehow managed to break through the line. 



But stay, here comes something down the 

 opposite slope. It is a doe markhor, going as 

 if a pack of demons were after her. On she 

 comes, and reaches her supposed refuge on the 

 rock face. The cause of her haste is soon evident, 

 for a long Badakshan hound is close on her tracks, 

 not a couple of hundred yards behind, and giving 

 tongue in short excited yelps. As the hound 



