SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



distance, so that our bullets fell short. With a 

 few bounds he was up the side of the hill and away. 

 Further up the valley three magnificent rams, which 

 had been disturbed by some woodcutters, came 

 bounding down a small ravine, but, catching sight 

 of us, they turned abruptly, and with incredible 

 speed tore diagonally across the steep mountain 

 side. Gaining the valley bottom, they broke 

 away in the direction we had just come, and were 

 soon out of sight round a bend. A shot or two 

 at these also failed to find a mark. 



Somewhat discouraged by our poor shooting, 

 we turned up a side ravine, and after a long, 

 gradual ascent, came out upon some grassy up- 

 lands. As we skirted the edge of these, the quick 

 e3^e of the Mongol detected three rams grazing 

 upon a patch of green grass at the bottom of 

 a valley. This was what we wanted, so ducking 

 down to keep out of sight, we crept away from the 

 crest of the ridge, and made a long detour. On 

 our way we put up a herd of six or eight ewes, 

 which scampered off, stopping every now and 

 then to gaze back at us. At last we reached a 

 clump of rocks, which I had marked as being 

 directly above the grazing rams. Cautiously 

 peeping over, I was disappointed to find the latter 

 had gone, but, on looking up, I saw all three 

 grazing on the opposite slope, about four hundred 

 yards away, as I estimated. I beckoned to 

 Warrington to creep up beside me : we both 



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