A DIFFICULTY 209 



Fortunately, though the wind was strong, Grayling 

 were numerous, and appeared to be as hungry as our 

 Kalmuks, for in a couple of hours we returned to 

 camp with sixty fish, averaging three-quarters of a 

 pound, which we distributed amongst the men. 

 These fish rose to any kind of fly, and afforded 

 capital sport. As for animal life, the surrounding 

 country seemed entirely void of game of any sort. 



Next morning we were off again at 6 a.m. The 

 Littledales started before us, but we soon caught them 

 up at a sharp turn of the river, where perpendicular 

 rocks barred further advance. The valley had been 

 gradually growing narrower till it formed a gorge 

 with sheer cliffs on both sides. There was no visible 

 path, and the rocks prevented an inland detour. After 

 careful inspection, we decided that the only means of 

 surmounting the difficulty was to tie each pony sepa- 

 rately to a long rope and swim them round the projecting 

 rock one after the other, whilst Littledale and I clung 

 to the rock with one hand and held tight to the rope 

 with the other, thus seeing the horses round to a safe 

 landing-place. There was hardly any foothold, and we 

 several times just missed an involuntary bath. Some 

 of the horses, on being pushed into the stream by our 

 men, refused energetically to advance, and struggled 

 so violently that their packs came off, occasioning 



