

CHAPTER VII 



BEAR SHOOTING 



Return to Buiiji— A nervous Kashmiri— The Indus and Kashmiri hoatmen— 

 My raw tahh^servant— Roadi Ast/iv— Settlini,' with Rozi Khan and 

 company— A bieolourfd stream— The Kashmir army at drill- Tlie eom- 

 mandant— The ninjor— Attained his majority bel'ore he was horn— 

 Reaeli Chhagam— Bad weather and great discomfort— The Mir Malik 

 valley— Flower-carpets— Another difficult dining performance- Rower 

 of the evil eye— Shoot a musk-deer- Effect of the "450 liollow huUet— 

 The voice of young Bruin betrays his mother— Maternal love— A long 

 stalk— Bag my first bear— A beautiful evening— A bear escapes— Stalk 

 two others— How they disported themselves— Bag only one tlirough a 

 mistake— A splendid trophy— Proceed farther up the valley— A magni- 

 fied fox— Cross the pass— Sharafa slips, Imt saves the rifle - In Gurc's 

 again. 



Early the next morning I started for Biinji. After a 

 short delay at the ferry, we crossed on the boat and got 

 over safely. The Kashmiris are great cowards on water. 

 One young man, a traveller, strong and sturdy, amused me 

 greatly. He was in abject fear from the time he put his 

 foot in the boat till he jumped out of it on the other bank. 

 He began his prayers as he entered, mumbling them 

 scarcely above his breath ; when the boat was cast off, 

 they became quite audible ; by the time she was in the 

 centre of the stream and buffeted by boisterous waves, his 

 voice rose to a pitch loud enough to be heard on both 

 banks ; but as the boat neared the other side his voice fell 

 in proportion ay the danger lessened, and, by the time we 



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