36 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



The flood was bringing over great rocks and trees 

 with it and there was a sort of boom, boom, like 

 the noise of big guns, going on all the time. The 

 water was very brown and dirty, but it was a grand 

 sight and sound as well and we stood and watched 

 it for a long time. 



Arrived at the bottom of the mountain, we made 

 for the hut, but we found the river a rushing torrent 

 and the bridge swept away ; so the hut was no good 

 to us under those circumstances. We camped a 

 short distance away on grass, and Rum John had 

 the greatest difficulty in starting a camp fire with 

 wet sticks, wet matches, wet everything. He got a 

 fine one going at last, and we took off our clothes, one 

 garment at a time, to try and get them dry. The 

 rain stopped at six o'clock that evening and we had a 

 curious meal, called dinner, about ten. 



The next morning the sun really did come out once 

 more, and we sat in it and tried to dry our things. 

 Some of the men went off to bring in the tents and 

 others the kart. The kart expedition was the most 

 fancied; but every one had a great feast that night. 



Word was now brought in that it was no use wait- 

 ing for the servants with the kit that we had left 

 behind, as all the bridges for miles had been washed 

 away and they could not get to us. We marched 

 farther down stream and could see them quite close 

 on the opposite bank, though that was not much 

 satisfaction to any of us. I shot two gurral on the 

 way. One we retrieved ; the other went roll, bump, 

 tumble, down the hill, until it bounded over into the 

 rushing Ravi river. 



