68 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



extremely slippery. Rahman's little unshod pony was the 

 only thing that could keep its feet, and we all, coolies and 

 shikaris as well, measured our length more than once. 

 At the top of the pass we sent our ponies and the ayah's 

 dandy back, as there are several rope bridges on the road 

 before us, over which the ponies cannot cross. The poor 

 ayah is very unhappy. She says to me confidentially, 

 " Memsahib, this is one dreadful country, the ice fall down 

 even from Heaven." She had evidently made up her mind 

 that Heaven is a warm place. 



We are above all trees, and the ground looks frightfully 

 desolate and bare. All the peaks above us are white with 

 snow, which also lies in patches around. As we cross the 

 summit a storm comes on, but we descend rapidly and soon 

 leave it behind us. It is a long steep march down, 

 although the valley looks <piite at our feet. In spite of 

 the chuprassie's efforts, and continued prods with his 

 umbrella, the coolies are far behind, and some have not 

 yet crossed the pass. So we decide to camp on the 

 mountain side, some four miles short of the usual halting 

 place. The ground is so uneven that my bed has to be 

 propped up with stones at one end, and, if I were a rest- 

 less sleeper, bed and all would certainly come to grief. 



November 4th. — It froze very hard again last night, 

 and even a bright sun had not warmth to thaw us when 

 we started in the early morning. A very steep and 



