202 SPORT IN CHANG-CHEN-MO 



snow or sleet creeps in through every crevice, and all the 

 while you know for certain that game is on the hillside 

 not a mile away. 



On the 27th July I made my camp in Gograng, with the 

 intention of first doing that valley ; but when I reached 

 Gogra I was met by some coolies belonging to my pre- 

 decessor's camp carrying away the last of his traps ; he had 

 them apparently scattered in many places. I at first 

 thought myself lucky, being under the impression that the 

 gallant sportsman had come into this ground very early, 

 and had remained stationary for two months, so keeping out 

 all subsequent prospectors ; but I soon found that I had 

 deceived myself. It was the custom of this sportsman to 

 enjoy the luxury of his bed (a very strong temptation, 

 indeed, I must confess) during the early hours of the 

 morning, while his shikaris scoured the valleys. When 

 game was found, information was sent to him, and he then 

 proceeded to the stalk, — if it was not a very difficult one, 

 — and, getting within a comfortably long range, he would 

 open fire and keep it up while the animals were in sight. 

 In this way he managed to bag a couple of cow yak and 

 some antelope. But the consequences to myself were 

 disastrous. The men knocking about all day, and the 

 indiscriminate firing, had driven all the game to the sky- 

 line, while all the good heads had disappeared entirely. I 

 remained twelve days in Gograng, explored every corner of 

 it, and got seven shots ! True, my predecessor was good 

 enough to leave at the best season, and I replaced him just 

 in the nick of time for wild yak ; but his reprehensible 

 way of loosing off emptied the valley with little profit to 

 himself, and less to his successor. My camp was pitched 

 a short distance above Gogra. It was not cold, but during 

 the night rain came on, and continued till morning. At 

 noon I moved again, and made camp two and a half miles 



