1070 
THROUGH ASIA 
At length however we reached the amphitheatre or 
cirq^^e of which I have already spoken, and in which the 
herbage, such as it was, was not scanty. An exceptionally 
large herd of yaks were grazing at the foot of the rocks on 
our rip'ht. Islam rode towards them, and took a shot at 
O 
them. Thereupon the herd divided, the greater part 
fleeing up the mountains, whilst the others, nearly fifty of 
them, in a tightly packed drove made straight towards me 
and Emin Mirza. We were alone and without weapons, 
and felt we were in a pretty tight fix, for the animals 
seemed to be charging directly down upon us. The leader 
of the herd was a well-shaped bull ; after him a little calf 
and five old bulls walloped along as hard as they could put 
feet to ground ; whilst the rear was brought up by Islam 
on horseback. The yaks were enveloped in a perfect cloud 
of dust. We could distinctly hear the cracking of their 
hoofs, and were blindly conscious that in another second 
or two we should be crushed under the avalanche of their 
irresistible onrush. It appeared however that they had 
not yet observed us ; for no sooner did the leader become 
aware of us, which he did at about a hundred paces’ distance, 
than he swerved aside, and was instantly followed by the 
entire battalion. This gave Islam his opportunity. He 
hastily dismounted and placed himself in ambush, and fired 
at a venture right in the middle of the troop. The bullet 
struck a bull in the foreleg ; then the animal, mad with 
fury, charged straight upon the sportsman. Islam flung 
himself into the saddle, and set off as fast as his enfeebled 
horse was able to gallop. The yak however, although 
running on only three legs, caught him up after two or 
three minutes’ chase ; but just as he was on the point of 
tossing horse and rider on his horns, Islam, who saw the 
danger he was in, turned in his saddle and took aim. But 
he was so excited, he could not aim with the cool delibera- 
tion that so perilous a moment demanded. However, the 
yak was so close to him that it was scarcely possible to 
miss ; luckily the bullet penetrated in the region of the 
heart, and thus put an end to the contest. 
The yak was a bull about eight years old. The tongue 
