100 AMONG THE PAMIRS. 



we looked over the third, and there they were, 

 quite twenty of them, about 1 50 yards off, looking 

 grand on the white snow, and quite unsuspicious 

 of our presence. Some were scraping holes in 

 the snow, others lying down on the bare spots 

 they had made. 



As far as I could see, the best heads were 

 farthest off, but I determined to take time and 

 choose a real good one. While watching, one 

 that had been lying down with some others in 

 a clump got up and showed his horns clearly 

 defined against the snow, as he turned his head 

 and looked in my direction. I could resist no 

 longer, and, drawing a steady bead on him, let 

 drive. The bullet struck, not with that thud so 

 dear to the sportsman's ear, but with a crack as 

 if it had struck a rock. He appeared staggered 

 for a moment, then shaking his head, made off 

 with the rest of the herd down the slope as hard 

 as they could pelt, never pausing for an instant. 

 I took a running shot at another, which must 

 have missed. 



My feelings can be better imagined than 

 described. My first inclination was to shie my 

 empty rifle after them, my second to sit down 

 and cry ! I never felt so sick in my life. After 



