A "ROOTLESS" TRAMP 259 



to his father ; the god was shaken more violently than 

 ever, and brought to a standstill. The priest bent down 

 and seemed to have a conversation with the god. After 

 this the son approached and told me that the deota was 

 rdzi (propitiated), that I was at liberty to go anywhere, 

 and I should get good sport. Of course their music ac- 

 companied these holy functions — two big drums and a 

 brass pot. The god had a firm seat on his chair ; the 

 shakings he got made me anxious lest he should tumble 

 out, and such an accident would perhaps have been fatal 

 to my prospects. 



The next march brought me up close to the barhal 

 ground, and I sighted a flock for the first time, but they 

 were high up in a grassy valley, and it was too late in the 

 day to attempt a stalk. We met a large flock of sheep 

 from Garhwal, that had crossed the Bardsii Pass the day 

 before. They were bringing rice to Chitkiil. The village 

 god, whose name, by the way, is Mathi, was taken to-day 

 to Eakcham, to bring rain, which was wanted for the crops. 

 The day was sunny and hot at times ; then windy, rainy, 

 and cold. The rain came from the upper valley and passed 

 down towards Eakcham ; so Mathi scored. 



We started at five o'clock on a very cold morning, and 

 went straight up from camp after the barhal sighted last 

 evening. The ascent took us first up a stony nala and 

 then along a hillside that became steeper at every yard, 

 but at last we got up to the snow. I had on an old pair 

 of boots with soles as slippery as glass ; my progress was 

 not at all satisfactory, and soon, in fact, became dangerous. 

 I had at last to take my boots off and trust to my stockinged 

 feet. I felt much safer, but on the sharp points of the 

 frozen soil I feared my soles would be cut to pieces. We 

 were, however, near the ground where the wild sheep had 

 been sighted, and excitement kept me up. No traces of 



