338 AN ACQUAINTANCE TURNS UP. 



manner so much so that I could dispense with many of 

 my warm wraps at night. Just after I had turned in to 

 bed, a messenger arrived with a note a surprising event in 

 these inhospitable wilds. The epistle was from a son of the 

 late Mr F. Wilson (of Himalayan hunting celebrity), inti- 

 mating that he had just come over the Chor Hoti pass, and 

 that his baggage-animals being unable to get as far as my 

 camp that night, he (in a true sportsman-like spirit) had 

 therefore sent on a messenger to ask me the direction of 

 my beat next day, in order that he might not interfere by 

 hunting over it. In reply, I told him I was leaving this 

 ground next morning, but hoped to see him at breakfast be- 

 fore I started. Another note, however, arrived in his stead, 

 telling me that as the Tibetans had allowed him only seven 

 days in their territory, he was making the most of his short 

 time in hunting, and so was unable to come. My time 

 would in all probability have been equally limited had it 

 not been for the revolver I had presented to the Jongpen 

 of Dapa, and the whisky with which I had propitiated his 

 messengers. 



As we intended hunting over the ground along our daily 

 stages towards the pass, they were necessarily made rather 

 short. The first day no game was seen, but a shot heard on 

 the ground we had left told of Wilson having found some- 

 thing there. Our camp was reached just in time to escape 

 a tremendous storm of hail, accompanied by much thunder 

 and lightning. From here we despatched two men with 

 some jooboos to Niti for a fresh stock of supplies, our 

 present one being rather low. Late in the evening I re- 

 ceived another note, this time from a sportsman camped 

 in the neighbourhood, with whom, it turned out, I was 

 acquainted. As I had not talked a word of my native 

 language for more than six weeks, except to my dog 

 Kanger, I was very glad that an opportunity was thus 

 offered of meeting with a brother sportsman, and an 

 acquaintance to boot. For the wanderer in these dreary 



