ARRIVAL AT NURPOOR. 185 



left, and hit the rock just underneath the third. Mahomet 

 seemed better pleased, but was not to be consoled. " AVah, 

 wah ! " he kept repeating; "any of those shots would 

 have killed that oorial dead." 



Thursday. — We sent off our baggage and camels in the 

 middle of the night to a valley below Nurpoor. It is a 

 long march, and I left with Eahman soon after sunrise. 

 Alan went with Mahomet to shoot his way across the hills. 



We reached Nurpoor about noon. Just outside the 

 village was a small bungalow belonging to the Salt 

 Eevenue officer, who was standing at the door and invited 

 me in to luncheon. He has no companion, and for three 

 months has not spoken a word of English, or seen any one 

 but natives. Eoor boy ! — for he is only about nineteen, 

 and had come to India straight from school — he was very 

 cheery, and looking forward to passing his three days' 

 Christmas holiday at the salt mines at Khewra. There 

 are four Englishmen at that dismal little station, but to 

 him it was apparently a little Faris of gaiety and pleasure. 

 Here his only friends are a number of fox-terriers, and 

 we went round to pay them a visit. Every dog was 

 clothed in a little woollen coat to keep it from catching 

 cold. With imported dogs I believe this is absolutely 

 necessary ; but it looks so funny ! On our way back to 

 the house we passed the native cook-shed, and I wish I 

 had had the strength of mind to turn my head the other 



