io6 BEAR SHOOTING 



Cawnpore district, and is a pleasant, gentlemanly man. 

 He introduced me to the major, a gentleman from Akhniir, 

 a hill-town not far from Jami'i, who attained his majority 

 before he was born, according to the commandant's state- 

 ment. The major's uncle, an officer of the same rank in 

 the Maharajah's army, was killed before Chilas when that 

 stronghold was stormed many years ago. The deceased 

 left no son, the greatest misfortune, both in this world and 

 the next, that could befall a Hindu. The thoughtful ruler 

 of Kashmir was grieved. He made the slain major's 

 brother marry, and ordained that when a son was born he 

 should receive his deceased uncle's commission. Thus this 

 gentleman attained his majority. Each regiment had its 

 band on the ground, which struck up whenever they saw 

 a favourable opportunity. Tiie musket stocks of the 

 different regiments were dyed different colours. 



Up to Chhagam I had followed again the route by 

 which I went up to my shooting. I now left this track 

 to have a few days' urin (Ovis vignci) and brown bear 

 shooting, sending on my extra luggage by the Guais route 

 to Bandpiira in charge of the khidmatgar, taking only the 

 usual kit for a ten days' outing at the higher elevations. 



It rained during the night. There was no sign of it 

 clearing up at 5 a.m., so I started, as we had some distance 

 to go before reaching the nearest urin ground. We went 

 up the right side of the valley, and got to the ridge after 

 some wet climbing : up here a cold wind was blowing 

 furiously from the higher slopes. We took a peep into 

 the Mir Malik valley, and had a glimpse of splendid 

 ground for urin just below us ; but the wind was blowing 

 with such fury, shaking the rain to and fro, like a vast 

 sheet of dirty-coloured cloth, that we were glad to bolt 

 down hill and get under shelter of the biggest birch-tree 

 we could find. Here we made a fire of wet birch logs, and 



