444 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



SUDDEN CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE AN UNEXPECTED EVENT A BROTHER 

 SPORTSMAN TURNS UP " IT NEVER RAINS BUT IT POURS " WE TRY A 

 LITTLE FISH-POACHING A WELCOME POST-BAG BURRELL AGAIN 

 WAITING FOR A RAM TO RISE " HABET " A NURSERY OF WILD SHEEP 

 A LONG CHASE A LUCKY FLUKE AN AGED RAM OUR HOONYA 

 ESCORT DEPARTS BED OF FOSSILS TIBETAN DOUANE AFTERNOON 

 TEA THE WAY IT WAS MADE DICE-THROWING A TOKEN OF GOOD- 

 WILL FROM THE JONGPEN TIBETAN METHOD OF CURING BUTTER 

 A TRYING JOB RECROSS NITI PASS BHOTIA WHISKY PUDDOO IMBIBES 

 RATHER FREELY A BIT OF ADVICE A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER 

 PUDDOO AND CO. CELEBRATE THEIR RETURN HOME A TRANSFORMA- 

 TION-SCENE IN THE THEATRE OF NATURE A REVERIE RAMNEE 

 FAREWELL TO THE GRAND OLD HIMALAYAS. 



THE time was now drawing nigh when, according to my con- 

 tract with the Jongpen, I should have to quit Tibetan terri- 

 tory ; and the Niti pass, over which I intended to return, was 

 three or four days' journey from here. These few days I 

 resolved to devote to hunting burrell, which Puddoo said 

 were fairly plentiful in certain localities where there was 

 some scanty vegetation, 1 below the snow-line, on the Hima- 

 layan northern slopes, along the foot of which our way led to- 

 wards the pass. There would also be a chance left of finding 

 Oves Ammon as well, though the ground was not considered 

 so good for old rams as that which we had been over. 



Our camp now presented the appearance of a " flesher's " 



1 The limit of vegetation in these trans- Himalayan regions is at an altitude 

 of about 17,000 feet. 



