PROCEED FARTHER UP THE VALLEY 115 



eight and a half inches ; length of hind foot seven inches. 

 The two hullets had made a terrible smash inside him. 

 These bears take a lot of killing. This stalk began at 

 9 o'clock and ended at 10.30. 



Having come down to the main stream, we stretched 

 the skin, and presently moved on, camping at sunset where 

 the valley turns sharp to the right and the last of the 

 vegetation is found : this was the foot of the pass that we 

 were to cross to regain the Krishganga valley. Its turn 

 to the right is so sudden and unexpected that, as one comes 

 up the valley, a semicircular wall of rocks, with a glacier 

 peeping over it, appears to close the end of it. A splendid 

 waterfall, just opposite our camping-place on the other side 

 of the valley, thundered down to the stream below, the 

 only sound audible. I saw a quantity of trout in the 

 stream as we marched up ; the coolies caught some with 

 their hands. 



Starting early for the pass, we went up a gentle ascent 

 for two miles, then had a very stiff scramble up to the 

 ridge ; it took us over three hours, and there was snow on 

 the ground every inch of the way. When we were about 

 half-way up I saw ahead of us a fox gambolling about 

 and evidently enjoying himself, though it was a cold and 

 dreary place for a solitary lark. There was absolutely 

 nothing to be seen for miles round but snow and glacier, 

 and the fox must have been travelling across the pass like 

 ourselves. We tried to stalk him, but he was above and 

 ahead of us, and was master of the situation. The last I 

 saw of him was through thick mist, his head peeping over 

 a rock ; it looked as large and exactly the same shape as 

 the head of the bear I shot yesterday, so greatly did the 

 mist magnify. The descent on the other side of the pass 

 was very difficult and dangerous for a short distance. 

 The coolies from the village led the way, followed by 



