248 THE KARAKUL PAMIR AND HOME. 



reluctantly we retraced our steps. Verily Ovis 

 poll are the strongest beasts when wounded I 

 ever had to do with. 



Trying the same nullah next morning, we 

 sighted a herd of eight in a corrie above, where 

 we found some the day before. To get at them 

 it was necessary to make a long round, and during 

 my absence five of these had cleared off. It was 

 impossible to do anything until the remainder fol- 

 lowed, and as soon as these were out of sight we 

 resumed the stalk, which was of a similar nature 

 to that already described : a slither down on my 

 back, then a longish wait for the best one to get 

 up and give me a fair shot. But my anguish 

 may be imagined, when he did get up at 150 

 yards, and, although steady and careful, I missed 

 him clean ! Whether the shot went over or under 

 his body it is hard to say probably over, for it 

 was a steep down-hill shot. 



Furious with myself, my inclination was to 

 break the rifle in two. The shikari and Mahomed 

 Atta came up and tried to console me ; but after 

 yesterday's luck it was hard lines, besides the 

 feeling of missing before natives, who have such 

 an exalted opinion of our weapons. However, in 

 a measure this disgrace was wiped out at once ; 



