Across the Roof of the World. 



in the afternoon we rode back to camp — a three-hour journey on 

 the yaks. 



On May 17th I started with Arzu after an early breakfast, 

 and did the ground to the north-west, crossing an intervening 

 range at a height of nearly 16,000 feet. The country beyond 

 was more open and the hills more sloping, resembling rolling 

 downs. It looked excellent ground for poli, and towards noon w^e 

 sighted a herd high up on a long stony slope some distance along 

 the valley. We w^ere on the northern side, so to get into touch 

 with the herd crossed to the far side, jumping the river about a 

 dozen times as it here flowed in several parallel streams. Then 

 commenced a climb through deep snow for some 1,500 feet, 

 sinking to the knees and often to the waist. I have been on a 

 Pacific liner off the Aleutian Islands, where the wind breaks 

 records, but that day it surpassed itself. Once on top we had to 

 cross a long, undulating, snow-covered plateau, into which Arzu, 

 being short, disappeared and reappeared like a Jack-in-the-box. 

 At last, towards 3 o'clock, after four hours' hard going in the 

 teeth of the wind and being numbed with the bitter cold, I arrived 

 within shot, but though from the other side the herd had appeared a 

 good one, I could now see there was not a head exceeding 50 inches, 

 and therefore nothing shootable, so steadily declined to open 

 fire despite Arzu's persistent desire for blood. 



We had a strenuous time getting back to camp, for at 16,000 

 feet the air is so rarefied that one's heart thumps like an engine 

 and the least exertion on a steep gradient is difficult and laborious. 

 Ascending the summit of the range that night it took an hour to 

 do 200 yards, for the snow only freezes on the surface, and by the 

 evening, after the sun's rays have lessened its rigidity, one sinks 

 in with an exasperating " flop " at every step. 



Early on the morning of the i8th I was at it again, this time 

 trying the entire ground lying between camp and the western 

 end of the Payik nullah, but though I put in some terrific work 

 there was no reward, and I did not even have the satisfaction of 

 seeing any poli. That night I came to the conclusion that the 



78 



