The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-04-15

we re-started our crawl, but had
gained only about twenty feet when
two more bucks appeared from the
same quarter and the same perform
ance was repeated at some length be-
fore they, too, apparently satisfied
| that we were an unusual but harm
less phenomenon, disappeared to the
| south.
A couple of minutes later / nearly
! trod on snowcock, which flew off
with loud calls of alarm and put the
| ibex on the qui vive. A young buck
that appeared on some rocks to our
right was very suspicious and the
process of taking the rife from the
shikari, who had been carrying it,
was a protracted one, as the animal
kept on looking round sharply, and
whenever he did so we had to remain
motionless in whatever position we
| happened to be in. He at last moved
out of sight, and it was difficult to
decide what to do, for the position of
the big-horned bucks was unknown.
We decided eventually to rush across
to the northern side and trust to get
ting shots at the animals as they
climbed the difficult rocks above us.
1t was a risky plan, but there was no
alternative, and it succeeded. /,
AS we gained the rocks we saw
small buck above us on our right and
buck and doe below us. These
gave the alarm, and the whole herd
started up hill. The majority had
been below our level, and l covered
them in succession as they slowly
passed us before firing at the best of
the four which stood for a moment
with heads and the upper parts of
their chests visible over snow ridge
looking at us. He dropped dead
and out of sight, while the others
bolted. Though there was now a
great Gathering as loosened stones
and snow began to shoot down the
mountainside, the ibex were invisible
until they reached ledge of snow
covered rock some 10 feet above us.
was in a very bad position for a
shot with no support for the arms,
and most precarious seat on shale,
which slipped on the slightest provo
cation.
A light colored buck first showed
up against the skyline and hurried
shot missed him. He was succeeded
first by two bucks with Indifferent
horns, which 1 left alone, and then
by the dark animal that had before
noticed. To my shot he staggered
couple of PAGES and then fell and lay
kicking for a moment on the ledge
before he slid to it's edge and crashed
down the rocks to our level. The re-
mainder of the herd climbed slowly
out of sight, while we made our way
to the animals which had fallen.
They were both quite dead, but
neither carried as good horns as we
had thought, while those of the Sec
ond had been badly broken in falling.
We cut off the heads as quickly as
possible and hurried down hill in
order not to be belated on the noun
tainside, but we only reached a track
in the bed of the nullah at 7.15.
1t was pitch dark; there was no
track once we got away from the
snow through which we slipped for
mile; our grass shoes were in shreds;
we had no food and were five miles
from camp. But we scrambled on
over rocks and stones, and how we,
the rifle and telescope escaped seri-
Gus damage was marvel. At about /
10 o'clock one of our men met us
with lamp and we reached the tents
at IL O'Clock, bruised and utterly
played out, but satisfied at having
ended what at one time seemed an
almost hopeless quest.-W. R. Gill
bert, in Forest and Stream.