1032 
THROUGH ASIA 
hunter’s appetite was now keenly whetted, stalked him 
like a panther against the wind, and arriving well within 
range began to blaze away at him. The yak fell at the 
third shot. But the next instant he was on his legs again, 
and charging madly down upon the disturber of his peace. 
He got another bullet, which made him spin right round ; 
but nothing daunted, back he came to the charge. How- 
ever he fell several times, always struggling to his feet 
again, till he at length dropped at the seventh bullet, and 
lay motionless. Thereupon Islam returned to camp 
triumphant, declaring that no finer skin could be got. 
The bull, for such it was, lay on the line of march I had 
planned for the morrow ; hence we decided to leave some 
of the men to flay him when we went past, as well as a 
camel to carry the skin to our next camp, which would not 
be very much farther to the east. 
Accordingly on September 4th, we once more got under 
way. Islam remembered precisely where he killed the 
yak; it was between the hills. Imagine therefore our 
amazement, when we came to the place, and found the bull 
had disappeared ! 
Islam was so thunderstruck that for a long time he was 
unable to get out a word. When he did find his voice, he 
swore that the yak ivas dead when he left him the even- 
ing before. However the soft moist ground betrayed the 
fact, that he had recovered, and in spite of his many 
wounds had managed to get away. His track seemed 
to show however that he had fallen again and again, 
at every few yards. All the same, he could not 
possibly have travelled very far. Following up his 
spoor, we soon saw him from the top of the hill. He 
was walking quietly along by the edge of a spring and 
pool, sniffing the ground. When we approached within a 
hundred yards of him, he turned round, and stood and 
watched us, with his head up in the air. Islam planted 
another bullet in him. That enraged him to such a degree 
that he rushed towards us in blind fury. We judged it 
best to beat a retreat ; but had barely turned our startled 
horses round when he was upon us. But luckily he 
