ROUGH NOTES OF TRAVEL AND SPORT. 99 



come, and I was the first to descend from the village to the path 

 below. What should I see in the moonlight but an ulster-clad 

 figure, striding aloDg the path just before me ! " Stealing a march," 

 thought I, as I sang, out, " Good evening." The ulster turned round 

 as if pierced by a bullet ! But I draw a veil over the harrowing effort 

 at conversation that ensued. Each of us dissembled our joy at 

 meeting so unexpectedly ; and the ulster soon fell behind, to make tea 

 (a euphemism for getting a pony and pursuing <me), and T. and I 

 rode on, feeling that we had our work cut out for us, as the ulster 

 was, we both agreed, •' a d — d nippy chap," and we should have to 

 go ahead if we meant to win. 



Many times we had to dismount, and drive our ponies before us 

 across the steepy path, where a single false step might be fatal. 

 Once a lot of stones came clattering down on us from above as we 

 were scrambling across a steep slope of debris and a stone about 

 six inches in diameter grazed my shoulder and nearly sent me down 

 the slope. We were pretty " nippy " ( I thank thee, T., for 

 teaching me that word ) in getting across that slope, steep though 

 it was ! A night-ride via Mykiel to Astor is very picturesque, but 

 otherwise undesirable. T. and I reached Astor at 6-30 A. M. Our 

 men got in at 8 o'clock, having also ridden all night ; and said the 

 ulster had got a pony and was riding on too. 



March 21th. — W r e had breakfast in Astor fort ; a jemadar there 

 was most kind in bringing us firewood, eggs and milk ; and while we 

 were waiting for fresh ponies, which (the tahsildar said) had to be 

 brought from a village three miles away, we saw, to our dismay and 

 anguish, that nippy ulster riding gaily past on a fresh pony that he 

 had obtained just outside the fort ! The agony of those three hours 

 we waited for the ponies ! However, I did one thing that somewhat 

 assuaged my torments. I got the tahsildar to send a smart boy on to 

 Harchoi and Duskin, and have fresh ponies ready for us at both those 

 stages on the way. Eight well did that youngster nip ! At 11 

 o'clock one pony turned up, and the other was "ata," so, as it was 

 my nullah that was in most deadly peril, T. very generously let me 

 take the first pony, and, throwing my blanket over the rough saddle, 

 off I galloped down a steep mountain goat-path ; but the pony was a 

 sturdy one, and took me along well. Ten miles passed quickly 

 but still the ulster was not in sight ; he had nearly three hours' 

 start, and a good pony, and made use of his chance. A little beyond 

 Harchoi the fresh pony met me — a little rat of a thing, about eleven 

 14 



