THE TAHR. I 33 



I reached the village on the 21st, and having engaged a Shikari, named Mahidr, I 

 went out early in the afternoon. Crossing the river a little above the village, we ascended 

 the opposite hill, and before long saw a flock of female Tahr among some steep cliffs. 

 Leaving them alone, we went more to the right and still higher up, and my Shikari soon 

 discovered eight or nine old males. They were coming down the hill to feed, and presently 

 galloped down to an old sheep-fold, where there was plenty of young fresh grass. The stalk 

 was an easy one, and after crossing several ravines and scrambling through a lot of jungle 

 we arrived nearly within shot. As bad luck would have it, however, we had been seen by 

 a second flock of females, which went up the rocks above us and gave the alarm to the old 

 males. The latter had not seen us, but had collected together and now moved off along the 

 hill-side. Mahidr' s advice was to leave them alone till next day, and accordingly we began 

 to descend the hill, but before we had gone far, we saw that the flock were again quietly 

 feeding. We therefore reascended, and soon reached the ravine in which the Tahr were. 

 Creeping carefully through the bushes, I saw them walking up the opposite slope, headed by 

 a very light colored fellow. He was a large one, so I knocked him over with the double 

 barrel, and fired the second barrel at another one, which also rolled over. Both Tahr now 

 staggered down the hill, but the first one immediately stopped, and I finished him with a 

 bullet from a Henry rifle. The second Tahr disappeared among the bushes, and reaching 

 some inaccessible ground, was lost ; a heavy thunderstorm, which came on immediately, 

 washing out any tracks that we might have followed. The dead Tahr had a good pair of 

 horns, and his coat, although short, was in very good order. On the way home I wounded a 

 Black Bear, but though he fell twice he managed to escape. 



Next day I went to look for Bruin, but heavy rain had washed away most of the blood, 

 and we could not track him. Late in the afternoon we found a flock of Tahr, males and 

 females. After an easy stalk I got within shot, but they were among thick bushes, and a 

 small one gave the alarm before I could pick out a good one to fire at. I then fired a quick 

 shot and missed, but hit one with my second barrel ; however, it went off with the rest. 

 Running after them as hard as I could, I was in time to see the flock going up the opposite 

 side of a deep and wide ravine. I opened fire at them with - a single barrelled Henry, and 

 knocked over a young male stone dead. I hit two others, one a very fine fellow, and as he 

 immediately lay down I felt sure of him. I crossed the ravine for the purpose of finishing 

 him, but was just in time to see him cross a ridge of high rocks, to the top of which he con- 

 trived to climb in a miraculous manner on three legs. I scrambled up with great difficulty 

 and followed the track by the blood for a long way, but had to give it up as it was very late. 

 We reached the foot of the hill with difficulty, as the night was pitch dark. I was very glad 

 to meet some men whom my wife had sent out with torches in search of me. 



These torches are made of splinters of the Chi'l pine (Pinus longifolia) ; they are full 

 of resin and burn most brilliantly. 



On the 24th we were out early, and after passing some small Tahr at which I would not 

 fire, we saw three old males going up to some high rocks, and as we expected them to come 

 down to feed in the evening we sat down to wait for them. Late in the afternoon they again 



