Replenishing the Larder. 



to render abortive any attempts at successful stalking. Patience, 

 however, was rewarded, for when some way up the ridge I saw 

 the entire herd on another which ran parallel to mine just under 

 a hundred yards off. 



Not a single ram was visible, a most disappointing discovery, 

 so it looked as though they must have gone one way and the 

 females another. Nadir here interposed that burhel meat 

 made good eating and suggested I should bag one of the 

 " madeens," so singhng out a plump one I dropped it with a 

 shot behind the shoulder. At the report, probably the first they 

 had ever heard in this distant and inaccessible corner of the 

 universe, there was a tremendous stampede and a rattle and 

 clatter of falling rocks as the herd bounded up the mountain side. 

 A second later a couple of rams appeared on the crest line of the 

 opposite ridge, looking about momentarily as if uncertain which 

 way to turn, I rammed in another cartridge and, covering the 

 best of the two, let drive ; the shot told for he toppled off the 

 ridge, bumping and rolling down until finally fetching up on an 

 old moraine hard by the water's edge. 



Nadir and I hastened down to the fallen beast and were soon 

 joined by the yak men, greatly pleased at the prospect of much 

 meat as also the skins wherewith they could repair their foot 

 gear. 



On the way down the ravine I saw a great many more burhel 

 and wished I could have remained a few days in their pursuit, 

 but the increasing volume of water, brought about by the change 

 in the weather and the brilliant sunshine now enjoyed, neces- 

 sitated rapid marching in order to avoid our being shut in by 

 the rising river. 



During the summer the ravine becomes quite impassable 

 owing to the amount of water rushing through the resounding 

 gorges, until in the month of July it reaches its maximum height, 

 effectually barring all efforts at marching therein. Sometimes 

 we crossed rocky parris, or passed round the edges of precipices, 

 jumping from rock to rock in the river, the thunder of which 



87 



