EECKLESS RIDING. 133 



route, and after having there replenished our stock of pro- 

 visions, return to our ground. We accordingly moved the 

 camp on somewhat nearer this pass, intending to cross it 

 next morning. 



I fired several shots at a bear we came across on the way. 

 Although the poor brute went off leaving the snow crimsoned 

 with blood, he baffled our efforts to overtake him. We saw 

 several others that we did not manage to circumvent. By 

 this it will be seen how numerous brown bears at that time 

 were ; and before these hunting-grounds became so accessible 

 to sportsmen, they had been much more so, and were then, I 

 was told, the bane of the shepherds, amongst whose flocks 

 they constantly committed depredations. Sometimes they 

 even attacked ponies, large numbers of which are driven up 

 from the Cashmere valley during the summer for the grazing 

 on the higher mountain-slopes, which, on all high ranges, are 

 often much less precipitous than the intermediate ones. 



I once witnessed a rather curious proceeding with respect 

 to these ponies at the time they were up on these grazing-alps. 

 It was here the custom to administer, once or twice during 

 the grazing season, a large dose of salt to each pony. As 

 most of the animals, owing to their long freedom from all 

 restraint, were next thing to wild, catching them was no 

 easy matter. To accomplish this, some of the more tractable 

 and most sure-footed beasts were mounted by men, who were 

 each provided with a lasso. This they used very expertly, 

 and their excitement was worked up to the highest degree by 

 the sport. Eeal sport it was and 110 mistake, and somewhat 

 dangerous withal, as the riders heedlessly rode their animals 

 barebacked over such break-neck slopes after the semi-wild 

 ones. On a pony being lassoed, it was at once thrown, and 

 after about half a pound of salt had been crammed down its 

 throat, it was again set at liberty. The reckless riding of 

 these men over such a country, without coming to utter grief, 

 was truly miraculous. I must say I had not such confidence 



