AFOOT THROUGH THE 



of icy water ; we were piercing a crystal wall. Then it 

 thundered, and jagged lightning flashes tore open the 

 sky, on flew the ponies, sliding and skimming over 

 treacherous surfaces of half-melted snow. I merely 

 remarked to myself that as many people must have 

 lived through this before reaching the happy valley, it 

 would be distinctly unlikely that any special ill-luck 

 should happen to me. Still it was a comfort when the 

 halts came, for it is tiresome and difficult to perpetually 

 hold one's breath. During one of these my driver drew 

 over his pagri a knitted " Crimean helmet." 



" Where did you get that ? " I asked. " I am a Sikh," 

 he replied (as one would say, " I am a king's son "). " I 

 helped in the storming of the Sampagha; after that 

 these warm things were given to us. I am a Sikh, a 

 brave man, therefore I drive faster than all others on 

 this road; I have no fear." It sounded noble, but 

 subsequently I. wished sometimes for a coward behind 

 my steeds. As the hours went by, the horses were 

 frequently changed; each new pair seemed to vie with 

 the last in wickedness and trickery. At first a little 

 jibbing or kicking had been the only excitement in 

 starting ; later they could not be persuaded to stir with- 

 out administrations of the " chabiik " (whip) that would 

 have filled a member of the S.P.C.A. with horror. Each 

 new pair required an especial scheme of advancement; 

 at one place they had to be prodded from the back, at 

 another it needed the united efforts of their two grooms, 

 reinforced by odd loafers, to jerk them forward, some 

 delighted in a noose flung round a fore leg, and one 

 unusually large black pony remained immovable in 

 statu quo till a string round his ear had threatened the 

 removal of that necessary limb! 



