GAME AM MALS OF KASHMIR. 
605 
The autumn was coming on, the mists had cleared off, the fresh morning 
air was delightful and hope was in the ascendant. A well known old shikari 
who was lame, but who could get over any bad ground met the camp and gave 
his news. 
“ One big buck quite close and three a little further off!” His idea of close 
was probably 10 miles and five thousand feet up the mountain, the little 
further off “ turned out to mean a very long day's climb, and then two or 
three hours amongst almost vertical cliffs.” 
The single buck was found and bagged b\ the camp companion,the term “big” 
was an exaggeration, still the horns were well over 45 inches. 
Before daylight on the second morning after a very long tramp on the 
previous day the camp was on the alert. A few sticks were lighted and charcoal 
made for the samavars ; hot tea is an excellent beverage at early dawn. 
The start was made as soon as it was possible to see the exact place to tread, 
for the rocks although not very difficult, were rather friable and unsafe. 
High up under the main cliffs there is an open slope of some size, where grass 
and stunted birch grow, and where young birch bushes are crushed down by the 
snow and lie in tangled heaps. The slope can only be approached from one 
side. For some distance above the approachable side, the ground was broken 
up by rocks. It was there the three bucks were found. The lame old shikari 
■“ Rahmana ” has now passed away, but he was generally very reUable and on 
this occasion absolutely^so. One buck was standing up close to a lot of birch, the 
Other two were resting on an open part of the slope. 
By crawling and dodging from cover to cover not more than 80 yards inter- 
vened between the rifle and the standing buck. It seemed to be almost impos- 
sible to miss, but the buck did not appear to even flinch but stood still — on re- 
ceiving the second bullet he subsided on to his side. Both bullets had hit 
behind the shoulder, the first had probably struck some nerve centre. 
Naturally the other two Markhor were off at once, but owing to the nature of 
the ground they had to come broadside on and shghtly above. This gave time 
to get hold of the second rifle, and drop the leading animal which fell dead and 
rolled into the dried birch. 
The third buck was still within shooting range but whether hit or not it is 
difficult to say and before there was time to reload he was out of sight. The 
shikari rushed forward and trod on a spike of birch wood which penetrated his 
grass shoe deep into the instep. 
By means of forceps which were in a roll of taxidermist tools the spike was 
pulled out, cotton wool and a bandage made the lame man fairly comfoi table 
and when this was finished, Ramana began to talk. He would have it the 
third buck was hit, and could not get away. 
Leaving the old man to take off the heads and skins of the slain the living 
buck was followed. The rocks were bad going from the first and after a short 
distance quite impossible, but the buck had gone on until he had reached a 
ledge, and there he stood, possibly over 300 yards away. He had crossed with 
his right side towards the rifle, but now as he turned round, his left side was 
exposed, but the glasses showed no wound which if it existed was probably 
in the middle of his body, for his legs were intact. 
The shot was too long for a rifle only sighted up to 200 yards, and the result of 
firing all but two or three cartridges only ended in hard smacks against the 
rocks, so leaving the cooUe, who seemed reasonably acute, to watch, a return 
was made to help the doubly lamed Rahmana. It was intended to return the 
next morning and to expend more cartridges, for when the coolie reached the 
temporary camp, where the night was spent, he said the buck was still there. 
In the morning he was not to be seen, and both men declared that he must have 
fallen over. Some days afterwards broken pieces of one horn, and a damaged 
