WAPITI AND IBEX in 



down to the stream again, and pitched camp on a 

 small flat by the side of it. Here we were at the 

 wapiti ground, and my hopes had already been 

 raised by seeing the track of a good stag on the 

 hill just above. 



In the afternoon Durji proposed going out to 

 have a look, so away we went, floundering in and 

 out of the stream for a mile, and then scrambling 

 up the hill, the first part of which was just practic- 

 able for the wonderfully sure-footed ponies. After 

 tying up the ponies in a convenient hollow, Durji 

 and I went on up a ridge and settled ourselves 

 down to watch the surrounding country and enjoy 

 the last of the afternoon sun. As the valley we 

 had left was both deep and narrow, the bottom of 

 it only got the sun for an hour or two in the middle 

 of the day, but we were now well up the hill. 

 From our post we could see a great extent of 

 ground. Opposite, looking south, was the valley 

 where camp was, and, first, pine forests and grassy 

 glades, then cliffs, and above all the snow, while 

 on either hand of our ridge were side-valleys, both 

 said to be good places. Presently the sun went 

 behind a hill, and immediately it turned very cold, 

 while a nasty, penetrating little wind began to blow. 

 I had foolishly left my sheepskin coat with the 

 ponies, and now simply shivered when I sat, or 

 rather crouched, against a rock. It was getting 

 dark, and I was nearly frozen, when two white 



