CHAPTEE XVIII 



THE UPPER BASPA — {continued) 



Another stalk — Ends in failure — But bag a ram next day — Excellent 

 though unsanetified chops — The god Kardu is S(juared at last — Features 

 of the upper valley — A tramp among the hill-tops — 17,000 feet above 

 sea level — Freezing cold and melting heat again — The Tibetan gale 

 drives us back — Driven to bed in desperation — An airy bedroom — 

 Nature freezes most audibly — Give up my intended tramp — Take a 

 walk round the base of the peak — Return to camp — A snowstorm — 

 Beautiful effect in moonlight — A dash for Tibet — Anparh — An en- 

 livening episode — Garhwalis "lift" a complete Tibetan encamimient — 

 They try to trade on their own account — Tibetans object. 



The next day was given up to correspondence, as the post 

 had at last come in. I went for a walk in the evening 

 by the hillside down the valley, and sighted a flock of 

 wild sheep. Anparh conducted the stalk, and did it well ; 

 but at the critical moment a loose slate slipped from 

 under his foot, and as he put his head over the crest of 

 the ridge, he was seen at once — a whistle, and the whole 

 flock of ten scattered in all directions. The ram was 

 lying down not fifty yards from our position, and as 

 Anparh peeped over, their eyes met, and the barhal 

 vanished before I ever saw him. No doubt the noise of 

 the falling slate had directed his gaze, and we had come 

 too close — as great a mistake when you have a trusty 

 Express as it is to go to the other extreme. In the 

 present instance, however, we had lost sight of the game, 



270 



