Across the Roof of the World. 



disappeared round the corner of a small knoll. Nurali and I 

 followed in hot haste, blundering through the ice-cold water, 

 and up to the crest of the knoll. The bear was about two 

 hundred yards beyond it and on the move making for the 

 ridge, so no time was to be lost if he was to be accounted 

 for. I could now see that he was of a greyish-white colour, 

 the fur being thick and long ; in size he was much larger than 

 the Himalayan bear. One glance was sufficient to show that 

 he was an uncommon species of the bear family and I already 

 imagined him as good as bagged. But luck was against me, for 

 although I had seven shots at him, all going-away ones, I did 

 not score a hit, though, despite the distance, I ought to have 

 got him had I been able to shoot straight. Of course it is 

 very easy to miss at these high altitudes, since the least 

 exertion makes one puff, and as I sprinted between shots in hopes 

 of getting nearer I suppose my aim was not much improved 

 thereby. This was indeed bad luck as the bear was undoubtedly 

 of a type rare in the Thian Shan, since, though white bears are 

 said to exist, and Numgoon afterwards told me he had once seen 

 one in Kok Su, they are very uncommon and would constitute 

 a fine trophy. Personally I had never heard of the existence 

 of white bears in Central Asia, and the meeting with this par- 

 ticular specimen raises an interesting natural history question. 



I camped that day in the ravine leading up to the Kok 

 Terek dawan, having to cross another range to reach there. It 

 was some distance above our first wapiti camp, and in the evening 

 I went out with Numgoon in the hopes of seeing some wild sheep 

 we had sighted there on a previous occasion. I had a bad headache 

 that night probably due to the combined effects of sun and snow. 



The next day I crossed the pass and camped in the ravine 

 on the Agiass side. That night there was a heavy fall of snow, 

 signs that winter was already fast approaching, so it would not 

 do to tarry much longer in the Thian Shan, especially in view 

 of the extensive programme still to be carried out and the great 

 amount of hard marching its accomplishment would involve. 



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