On the ' ' Roof of the World " 167 



behind a big boulder and waited, but the blizzard 

 kept on with undiminished violence. Several 

 times I crawled to the edge determined to risk 

 a shot, but each time had to retire, till finally, 

 after some hours, we could stand it no longer, and 

 beat a retreat to camp. 



Curiously enough, the biggest head shot by the 

 writer was the result of a very simple stalk. We 

 had topped a spur, and, as we did so, sank down 

 into the snow, for both Gul Sher and I had spotted 

 a ram not more than a couple of furlongs away. 

 He was near a big detached rock, so, dropping 

 down the reverse slope of the spur, we got the 

 rock between him and ourselves, and the rest was 

 easy. There turned out to be four big rams, and 

 a truly magnificent sight they looked from the top 

 of that rock. I should like to have watched them 

 for a space, but carpe diem, seize your oppor- 

 tunity, a moment's delay may lose you the shot, 

 so crack went the rifle, and the biggest ram 

 staggered, gave two or three bounds, and rolled 

 over. 



The gigantic horns of a poli ram, wonderful as 

 they appear to us, are to the unfortunate owner 

 nothing less than a snare. Their great weight 

 handicaps him severely when pursued by his 

 cruel foes, chief among whom is the wolf; and 

 from the number of rams' heads with which the 



