THE SPIRAL-HORNED MARKHOOR. 1 39 



first lot. As soon as they were all out of sight, we went after them at best pace, and having 

 reached the point round which they had gone (a distance of about a mile), we looked care- 

 fully over, and soon saw them not very far off. Some of them were moving slowly on, but 

 others seemed inclined to stay where they were. There appeared to be two ways of getting 

 near them, but the one which would give the best chance of a shot, if they remained where 

 they were, would expose us to the danger of being seen, should the remainder of the herd 

 move off in the direction which some had already taken : we therefore chose a rather more 

 difficult approach. Retracing our steps a few yards, we then descended a rather awkward 

 precipice, which I did not much like ; however, we reached the bottom in safety. Keeping 

 under cover of the hill, we at length arrived opposite a little hollow which ran down towards 

 the Markhoor. Carefully descending this, I cautiously raised my head above the junipers 

 and beheld two Markhoor, one lying under a rock, and the other feeding about a hundred 

 and fifty yards off. The others were not visible, and there was no way of approaching any 

 nearer, but the one feeding was a fine fellow, and he stood in a good position. After watch- 

 ing him for some time, and giving my nerves time to steady, I rested my rifle on a rock, and 

 taking deliberate aim at his shoulder, fired. Nothing denoted that he was hit, he merely 

 bounded forward, and the others, who had been lying concealed among the junipers, also 

 sprang up. It was a grand sight, and one which I shall never forget, to see these noble 

 animals standing on the rocks in various attitudes gazing about them, being as yet ignorant 

 of where the danger came from. Conspicuous among them was one splendid old fellow 

 with horns far larger than the rest, and at him I sent the contents of my second barrel. I 

 could not see that he was hit either, and I am pretty sure that I missed with the single barrel 

 which I discharged at a third one, and away went all the Markhoor in gallant style. 



This would have seemed a pretty mess to a spectator, and I was almost speechless with 

 disgust. In another minute I exclaimed " the large one is lame ! " as he separated from the 

 flock, and went slowly up the hill alone. As I was reloading and watching him, my Shikari 

 called out " there is another one wounded," and, true enough, the first one I had fired at 

 subsided into a walk, and, stopping every minute, went slowly down the hill. Having finished 

 reloading, I gave my gun to Sadfk, my Shikari, and told him to follow up the big one, while 

 I went after the other one, which seemed hardest hit. Away I went as hard as I could 

 run, slipping and frequently falling, for the steep hill-side was covered with grass and 

 weeds. At first no blood was to be found, but after going some way, I discovered a few 

 drops, and in a quarter of a mile came up with the Markhoor, who was slowly walking off 

 about eighty yards below me. Dropping on one knee and holding my breath, I sent a shell 

 through his neck, and he fell like a stone. He lay motionless for a few seconds, and then 

 regaining his feet, rushed down the steep hill, splashing the grass and bushes with his 

 blood. I followed, and slipped, fell, and scrambled (for it was too steep for me to keep my 

 footing) for a couple of hundred yards, when I overtook him with his head in a bush, which 

 he was too weak to force his way through. I seized him by his beautiful horns, and the 

 knife finished him. 



My Shikari, hearing me fire, relinquished his pursuit of the other Markhoor and rejoined 



