THE -500 EXPEESS. 75 



once, turned back and led me along a villainously steep hill-side with 

 more than the usual amount of grass on it. Turning up into a ravine he 

 signed to me to be ready, so I loaded the '500 and carried it at half-cock, 

 but could not quite determine from his signs whether I was to expect a 

 herd or solitary ram. Suddenly a very fine ram jumped up out of the 

 tussock-grass about 40 yards ahead, and went away rather slowly along 

 the side of the ravine. I pushed past the old man, cocking the rifle as I 

 moved, and had just raised it for a good shot at the brute's head, when 

 the old man seized my arm and shook me as a terrier does a rat, shouting, 

 "Sahib, Sahib." He must have clean lost his head, and by the time I 

 had shaken myself free, the rain was bolting and my snap went over his 

 head, and ditto the second barrel; he was out of sight before I could 

 reload, and I abused that venerable old rogue with all the choice epithets 

 in my vocabulary, sending him away disgraced at the end ! I felt ready 

 for any violence towards him, nearly. The remainder of the day I 

 tramped about without a shot, and then descended a deep ravine, where 

 the terraces reminded me of the steps of the Great Pyramid, and were 

 equally as tiring. My tent was two miles away under a solitary tree, and 

 I never slept sounder than I did that night. 



I was off at dawn next morning, and followed up the ravine running 

 from near camp, which enabled me to reach the higher ground without 

 much steep climbing ; the stones and rocks are so hard and sharp in 

 these hills that boots have little hold, and " chupplies " (sandals) last but 

 little time. 



Soon we found a large herd, which I stalked three times ; there was 

 not a good male to be found amongst them, although I hoped that one 

 would have joined them as they moved about. No, luck was against me, 

 and I scanned the herd again and again from within two hundred yards, 

 only to decide I could fire at nothing ! It was fagging work, but, after a 

 rest, I clambered about with the local man all day, and returned to camp 

 weary and footsore, without having fired a shot. 



We tried up a small ravine next day, and soon came on tracks quite 

 fresh; I took the double, loaded and put it on my shoulder, expecting to 

 see game soon. We examined each ravine we entered or passed, and 

 very bare and uninviting they looked, being composed of a rough 

 conglomerate of stones and gravel, with no herbage save along the 

 bottoms. The configuration was due to the action of water, I believe, 

 similar to many other parts of the Punjab. 



As we were crossing the end of one, my man shouted, " Sahib, Sahib, 

 Sahib ! " and on looking round I could just distinguish some oorial at 

 the top of the ravine, with the sun shining straight behind and above 

 them ! One male had a fine head, and I hastily fired when they halted 

 for a moment ; the bullet went just over him into the ground, as I 

 judged the distance to be about a hundred and twenty yards. The 

 bright sun deceived me truly, for I subsequently found it was barely 

 sixty ! I was very much disgusted, but could only lament the misfortune 



