32 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



and jumped away. Clouds and mist soon rolled up, 

 and it was difficult to find our way back. 



The shikaris now proposed that we should go up 

 to some very good kart ground, taking with us two 

 days' supplies and travelling very light; they said 

 that the place was very high up and difficult of 

 access, and that we must leave our tents behind. 

 We thought this a good scheme, but the weather was 

 so uncertain that we did not like the idea of going 

 tentless. They told us the road there was no road, 

 only a sketchy path at times was so bad that the 

 coolies could only carry half loads and that tents 

 were too heavy to take. Fortunately, however, we 

 insisted on taking our two sleeping tents with us, 

 and the cook's chuldari, and they were divided up 

 into light loads; but we took as few things as we 

 could possibly do with. 



The shikaris knew of one spot where we might 

 find enough level ground to pitch the tents, so we 

 made a start on a nice fine day, leaving servants, 

 with most of our belongings, to march some miles 

 along by the river and wait for us to join them after 

 our shoot. 



We reached our camp in time to settle ourselves 

 before night came on. It was a curious place to 

 choose for a camp. There was just space, and only 

 just space, enough for the tents on a bit of sloping 

 ground; behind and above us was a big high rock, 

 and in front and below was a precipice cut by a 

 waterfall a sheer drop for hundreds of feet. There 

 were high cliffs on each side, and when we were 

 encamped we had to look about to make out how 



