106 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



coming down. But it was a false alarm, and proved to be 

 only the men shaking the drifted snow off the outside. 



Rahman begins to be nervous lest the pass over the 

 mountains to Chamba should get closed. If this happens, 

 we should have to make a long detour of many days' 

 march. So we determine to start back at once, and 

 attempt the pass to-morrow. After some difficulty in 

 getting our coolies together, we make our way back to Sara 

 in a storm of wind and sleet. The wind was fearful. Three 

 ravines join at Sara, and it blew a regular blizzard from 

 three quarters at once. This time we camp on a housetop, 

 and lash the tent ropes to the side buildings. They were 

 a long time before they could get our tent up at all. Twice 

 it came down again. The servants did not attempt to pitch 

 theirs, and took refuge in a shed. The owner of our house 

 was rather unreasonable, and objected to a fire being lit on 

 his roof. We explain that it was absolutely necessary to 

 have a fire. He says that " he also must have a house, 

 which will not be the case if we burn it down." Matters 

 are compromised by having some big smooth rocks placed 

 as hearthstones. 



These flat roofs serve a variety of purposes. Here grain 

 is threshed out, and seeds dried — small ones like millet 

 spread out on the family bedsteads. In one corner there is 

 generally a haystack ; indeed the hay sometimes seems to 

 be grown on the roofs by those of frugal mind, but this is 



