A SUMMER IN HIGH ASIA. 



the valley. Unaccustomed, or rather out of practice 

 as I was at spotting them, it took me some time to 

 find him, but at last I did so, just as he moved away 

 out of sight. My mind was at once made up, I 

 would go after him. Salia, however, refused to go, 

 saying that the danger from the still falling stones 

 was too great. I have always found it best to 

 follow one's shikari's advice, but on this occasion 

 it was my first chance ; I was tired of staying 

 inactive in camp, and I had not yet had a shot, 

 which must be my excuse for having said, " Never 

 mind, I will take a walk up the valley with you, 

 rifle in hand." This we did, accompanied by Ullia 

 and Umdoo, the latter being the tiffin coolie, 

 surnamed " Bhalu " (the Bear). Of course, when 

 we got opposite the foot of the gully above which 

 we had seen the ibex, I insisted on ascending. To 

 make a long story short, we suddenly caught sight 

 of a herd of bucks which had already seen us, and 

 were moving off rapidly along the rocks, some two 

 hundred yards above us. No time to waste, and I 

 emptied both barrels at them as they disappeared. 

 One staggered, but went on ; and, firing at them 

 again, I thought that I heard another bullet tell. 

 However, I found myself seized by the arms and 

 dragged down the couloir and round a corner, and 

 not too soon, as a lot of stones came whizzing by us 

 like shots from a gun, having probably been dislodged 

 by the ibex in their flight. I was back in my camp 

 within an hour, having, as events proved, bagged two 



66 



