SPORT AND TRAVEL 29 



all ewes with the exception of one young ram, whose 

 horns were very much smaller than those of the one I 

 had seen the previous evening. After this we went 

 over a lot of ground without seeing anything more, 

 but at last, when near the top of the mountain, we 

 saw, on peering over the edge of a cliff, three, a young 

 ram, a ewe, and a kid, lying on a piece of level ground 

 almost directly below us. After carefully scanning 

 the ground, I left Mahmoud, and tried to make my 

 way to a spot from which, had I reached it, I could 

 have got a shot at the ram at about one hundred 

 yards' distance. This spot I almost reached, but not 

 quite, as although I must have been within one hun- 

 dred yards of my would-be victim, I was hidden from 

 him by an overhanging ledge of rock, which I found it 

 impossible to surmount. I was thus obliged to retrace 

 my steps to a sloping wall of rock directly above the 

 goats. This wall of rock was steep but not precipitous, 

 and, being traversed with many little ledges and in- 

 equalities, was easy enough to climb over, the more 

 especially as I had taken off my shoes. Presently I 

 judged the distance that separated me from the goat 

 to be about one hundred and seventy yards, and deter- 

 mined to try a shot, as I saw no chance of getting 

 much nearer. I could now only see the young ram, 

 the ewe and kid being hidden from me by bushes, but, 

 as the former seemed utterly unsuspicious of danger, 

 and there seemed to be no wind, I did not think there 

 was any necessity for hurry, and thought I had better 



