66 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



waiting an instant, I made for the big tree close to 

 which he had been standing when I fired, in order 

 that 1 might hit off his tracks and look for blood 

 spoor. I was in the bottom of the corrie and advan- 

 cing rapidly to where the goat was standing before 

 I fired, when glancing to the right, I saw a fine ram 

 standing on a rock in full view and not more than 

 one hundred and fifty yards from me. At the same 

 time I saw the tops of the horns of two or three 

 others just showing above another rock. I lost no 

 time in firing at the one I could see, and it seemed 

 to me that he flinched at the shot before spring- 

 ing off the rock and joining his companions. 



Having well marked the rock on which he had been 

 standing, I went on to look for blood on the tracks of 

 the one I had first fired at, and was still searching 

 when the Doctor came up. But not a drop of blood 

 could we find, and I was at last reluctantly forced to 

 believe that I must have taken the sight a little too full 

 or a little too fine, and so either fired over or under 

 him. In this country I may say that if you can- 

 not get blood spoor you cannot follow a wounded or 

 unwounded goat, as he is never very far from rocks and 

 stones, over which he jumps and climbs without the 

 least trace in the way of hoof-marks. I was not at all 

 sure that the animal I had last fired at was the big 

 ram whose horns I had so much admired as he came 

 down the mountain-side, for in the hurried glance I 

 cast on him before firing, I had had no time to no- 



