316 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



round over his shoulder preparatory to turning 

 the corner. Where were now my good resolutions ? 

 Crack, and down he went, head over heels. Gul 

 Sher plunged down after him, knife in hand, his 

 thoughts intent on meat, and I was left gathering 

 up the debris of my camera and thinking of 

 the place that is paved with good resolutions. 



I returned to camp sadder and wiser. Gul Sher 

 came in later carrying the head, and, to his sur- 

 prise, I refused to look at it. With dinner, how- 

 ever, came reflection and a degree of consolation. 

 I made up my mind to do better on the next 

 occasion. My chance to-day was not a fair one, 

 the animals were on the move and the ledge I 

 was on unsuitable for photographic experiments. 

 On another occasion I would take their portrait 

 sleeping or grazing. 



The next opportunity did not present itself till 

 some days later, but what an opportunity it was ! 

 An ideal family group, consisting of a number of 

 ibex of both sexes lying down in a grassy corrie, 

 while above them, motionless on a needle of rock, 

 stood a magnificent old patriarch looking down 

 into space. The wind was steady and the stalk 

 easy, and in my imagination I had the picture 

 already in my possession. We got up without 

 any difficulty to within a hundred yards of them. 

 I fixed up the camera behind a rock and raised it 



