CONSTRUCTING A BRIDGE. 245 



evening, seeing nothing but a few does with kids at foot, 

 we returned to camp, which had been brought up during 

 the day. 



Ticks were numerous and troublesome up here, as they 

 usually are at that season in such places, where the winter 

 snow has but recently melted off the old withered grass. 

 When out on the hill, we constantly had to stop and un- 

 fasten our nether garments in order to get at tender spots 

 where the little flat wretches had buried their heads so 

 deeply as to require a painful tug to extract them. A 

 much more agreeable production of the ground in a similar 

 state, at the same season, is the " goochee," a growth of the 

 mushroom kind, which is often found springing up in a 

 conical shape through the snow-flattened dead grass, like 

 a dirty bit of sponge. The natives string these fungi to- 

 gether and dry them, but they are much better when eaten 

 fresh, seasoned with pepper and salt, and fried or stewed. 



To enable us to reach the ground where we had, the first 

 evening, seen bucks on the opposite side of the deep rapid 

 torrent, over which, up here, we could find no convenient 

 blocks or beds of hard snow for crossing on, the following 

 morning was devoted to constructing a bridge of thin tree- 

 stems, cut down and thrown across between two suitable 

 rocks. It was rather a rickety concern, and slippery as 

 well, from being wetted by spray dashing over it. 



We were not successful in finding the bucks again, though 

 their traces were fresh and numerous, a male musk-deer 

 being the only thing brought to bag. Once we unexpectedly 

 found ourselves within about eighty yards of four or five 

 markhor does, each with the smallest of little kids at foot. 

 As they were quite unconscious of our presence so near them, 

 an opportunity was afforded me of watching their gambols for 

 some time. Any one who could have spoilt such an interest- 

 ing family party must have been dead indeed not only to all 

 sportsmanlike feelings, but also to those of humanity. 



