THE GAGAI NALA 9 



and there was no sun, so we had to make a fire for him, 

 and toast him at it. After a time we turned up a small 

 stream called the Chhota (small) Gagai, and crossed another 

 pole bridge, much narrower than the first, but with very 

 little spring in it. 



The valley now contracted gradually. There were 

 rocks and rocky ridges on either side, very ibex-looking, 

 but it was too late in the season to expect them so near the 

 path now. We reached Burzil at 3 r.M., and had to camp 

 on the snow. This is the much-used Gagai Pass. The dak- 

 coolies of five sahibs were with me going up to Astor and 

 beyond. The wind was piercingly cold in the evening, and 

 some snow fell. Our march next day was a trying one, 

 and the ascent to the crest of the pass occupied five hours. 

 The most heart-breaking part of it was the alternation of 

 hope and disappointment during the whole time. After 

 painfully ascending a long distance, a sharply defined crest 

 appeared above me. I made certain that the end of the 

 journey was within sight ; but I gained the sky-line only 

 to find a farther stretch of snow and painful ascent lying 

 before me, with another well-defined crest cutting the blue 

 sky at a farther elevation. The pass, of course, this time, 

 I thought ; but no, that was only crest number two ! Four 

 times was I disappointed : the fifth slope was the last, and 

 the fifth sky-line was the actual col beyond which the de- 

 scent into the next valley began. The descent for some 

 distance is very sharp. I tobogganed down this slope, and 

 nearly obliterated the colonel of a British regiment in my 

 descent. He was lying in the snow mullied up, and I 

 mistook him for one of the coolies. It was not till he sent 

 for me that I discovered his identity. I lay down along- 

 side of him and had a talk. After a rest he continued his 

 way up, and I went down. The descent was gradual, but 

 the snow was very deep everywhere. 



