154 SATISFACTION ALL ROUND. 



cease rolling and reverberating among the crags and preci- 

 pices, when they bleed him with all due form. Leaving two 

 men who had followed us to break up the ibex, Eamzan and 

 I descend to our bivouac, from whence we send them a flam- 

 ing pine torch to light them down after finishing their work, 

 for by this time it has grown almost dark. 



It was with a light heart and a keen appetite I that even- 

 ing despatched my frugal meal of broiled ibex -meat and 

 " chuppaties " (thin cakes made of flour and water). After a 

 " nightcap " of hot whisky-toddy and a few puffs of tobacco 

 beside the fire, notwithstanding very tough venison, and a 

 hard couch under no roof but the starlit sky, I was soon 

 ibex-hunting in dreamland. 



We were astir next morning before the stars had ceased to 

 twinkle in the cold grey dawn. Leaving directions for hav- 

 ing our limited amount of impedimenta taken down direct to 

 the hot spring, I started with the two shikarees, intending to 

 work over the hill above and rejoin our camp in the evening. 

 What a miraculous effect a little luck in hunting has on both 

 body and mind ! How different were my feelings this morn- 

 ing as we climbed the craggy acclivities of Book. There was 

 now not a thought of its toils or troubles ; in fact, to per- 

 petrate a vile pun, it was no longer "dook" to me, and on 

 reaching our camp after a long day's hard work without 

 having seen a hoof of any kind, I felt as crisp as possible. 

 How delicious and refreshing was a draught of "lussee" 

 (butter-milk), and how I revelled in the warm water of the 

 spring, for truly I was in need of a good scrubbing. Ample 

 justice, also, was done to a more civilised repast than any I 

 had partaken of for some time, and to which I had brought 

 down an acceptable addition in the shape of wild rhubarb, 

 and several other esculents that grow on these mountains. 



After ridding myself of the pesterings of the impostor, who 

 was perpetually demanding " backsheesh " for his worse than 

 useless services by discharging him we retraced our steps 



