84 MARKHOR. 



performed. He shouted out that he was a "burra wallah" (big fellow), 

 and, with iny other native's help, I was soon with him. Just 46in. his 

 horns measured ; but, with his grand black beard and massive carcase, 

 they looked much more to my eyes. They were a good pair for that 

 range, but they have been killed there nearly 60in. 



It took a long time to skin and cut him up, but I was much interested 

 with the result of the shot. I had hit him fair behind the shoulder ; his 

 lungs were cut to ribbons, yet he went some forty yards before he fell. 

 I believe he was 230 yards away when I fired. 



Next day we went away north from our camp under a rock, after 

 cautioning my coolies to keep quiet and make no noise. It was just after 

 dawn, and, as soon as light was come into the valley, we saw five markhor 

 one as good as my trophy of the day before on the other side of the 

 valley, not half a mile from camp. Our men then commenced jabbering, 

 and the game moved up and into cover, in no hurry apparently. Our 

 hillside was bare, so, when we had given them time to get well amongst 

 the crags, and could see nothing of them after a careful scrutiny with the 

 glasses, round by camp we went, abused the coolies in strong terms but 

 with bated breath, and then followed up. 



On arriving where we had last seen the big one and another, we could 

 find nothing, the junipers and small pines forming a very thick jungle ; 

 suddenly my man spotted one walking along a ledge about a hundred 

 yards above us. I thought him the good one, but could get no rest, so 

 fired standing, and the bullet hit the rocks just above him. It was a bad 

 place for a shot, at an angle of 50, with the jungle just keeping its own 

 hold, but I was to have a shot in a worse place later on. My man advised 

 me to follow him up, as we had not been seen, and consequently he would 

 not have gone far. 



Up I went again, holding on to the brushwood and slipping every step. 

 After we had clambered perhaps 100ft., my arm was suddenly seized and 

 the rifle thrust into my hand by my man, who pointed out a markhor on 

 the very top of the cliff against the sky-line, looking straight down at us. 

 I could not retain a foothold without a grasp of the bushes, so seized my 

 man and pulled him behind me, making him hold me up almost, while I 

 took aim. It was far over 200 yards, and seemed almost straight up. I 

 never had such a shot except with a gun at rocketers. Just as I was 

 about to fire, the game turned his head to the left, and I could see his 

 right shoulder and forelegs, but his body was end on. I did my best, let 

 drive, and down he came, not striking bush or anything, for some fifty 

 feet ; hit he was, but somewhere behind, I feared. Suddenly he emerged 

 on the ridge, and staggered over into another gully, where we found him 

 standing in some birch trees. I fired a shot to finish him, seeing his fore- 

 quarter covered with blood, but missed. I could not make it out, the 

 bullet passing over him, and I had aimed low, as he was only forty yards 

 away ; but I looked at the rifle, and found I had neglected to put down 

 the 200 yards leaf after firing the first time ; that accounted for my bad 



