Chamba into Kashmir 137 



tahr actually in the direction of our camp ; had the 

 storm not driven us down, we must have missed them. 

 They were on a spur, grazing close to a large 

 white stone, which made a capital mark to guide the 

 stalker. 



In a bee-line they were a mile off; but to reach 

 them it was necessary to go down to the bottom of 

 the valley, over the stream and up again, across some 

 very impracticable-looking precipices. With such an 

 incentive we positively rushed down to the bottom, 

 and luckily finding a goat-track up the other side, 

 we got into the right position just about an hour 

 after we first saw the tahr, finding the white stone 

 a great assistance. 



S. and M. separated. One tahr was lying under 

 the stone, another was more to the right. M. was 

 to get as near as possible to the former, while he 

 stalked the latter. By dint of excessive caution, she 

 and myself and one shikari, advancing about an inch 

 at a time, crept to within about fifteen yards. Leaning 

 forward, we could see the shaggy old goat through 

 a fissure in the rock. 



It was the easiest shot in the world, except that 

 the earth we stood on crumbled considerably, and 

 M. was not very steady. She waited some moments 

 to give S. time moments to hear the heart thump ! 

 thump ! then raising the rifle, took a long aim and 

 pulled the trigger. Great goodness ! missed him ! 

 The second barrel followed as he bounded off, and 

 apparently missed him again, as he went out of sight 



