DANGEROUS PATHWAY 261 



paunch, to the horror of Yakiib, who called him a vulture. 

 The horns measured only IQh inches — not worth keeping — 

 and all the hair was coniiug off the skin. The beast's age, 

 according to the rings on the horns, would be eight years, 

 and they were small for a ram of that age. 



My feet were not cut, not even the soles of the stockings, 

 much to my surprise, after the agony I had suffered ; I had 

 made certain of being laid up for several days. It would 

 be a great thincr to be able to walk barefoot when occasion 

 required, but the practice necessary to acquire this accom- 

 plishment would be an experience that few, I imagine, 

 would undertake. 



I was out again at 5 a.m. on the hillsides between 

 Dwarea and Chitkul ; we went up steadily for four hours, 

 and at last sighted three barhal, but in such a situation 

 that we could not get at them until they crossed a ridge. 

 When we got up to the same point, no living thing was in 

 sight. Somehow we had made a mess of the stalk, though 

 it appeared an easy enough one. I concluded that one of 

 the ewes of the flock had been acting sentry on the ridge, 

 and gave the alarm as soon as we showed ourselves. The 

 view we had of the snowy valley opposite was the grandest 

 I had seen here yet ; it is like an amphitheatre topped by 

 white peaks all round, and the level bottom also covered 

 with snow. 



Up the valley the stream comes round a tremendous 

 precipice, and the path follows it on the right bank. 

 Farther on, the track passes along the steep and crumbling 

 slope of mountain — an awkward path, as we discovered. 

 Stones, large and small, were continually falling from 

 above, and we were obliged to run back the first time we 

 tried to cross this dangerous bit. The bad footing com- 

 pelled slow progress, but the frequency of stone showers 

 recommended speed. It was a ticklish undertaking, but 



