34 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



and nearly all their coolies. They agreed, and we pro- 

 ceeded to clear a place for ourselves. The rest of the room, 

 which was a fairly big one, was packed tight with coolies 

 and their loads. I am not exaggerating when I say packed 

 tight. The party of four which preceded us had about 

 ninety porters, and as only a few of these were in the 

 verandah of the rest-house, the balance were in this room, 

 and it was with the greatest difficulty we forced our way, 

 by the light of the smoky faggots, through this mass of 

 malodorous humanity. The smell in that place, as we 

 began moving the men out, was something indescribable, 

 and I would have given a good deal for my pipe. With 

 some difficulty we made room for ourselves, and the more 

 necessary of our loads were brought in. I superintended 

 the putting up of my table and cot, and had my bed 

 made. Jebb did the same for his, and then we lighted 

 a couple of candles, and the pine faggots were takea 

 away. But our faces were a sight by that time, 

 for the smuts that resulted from the resinous wood 

 had settled on us, and touching our skins anywhere with 

 a handkerchief meant blackening the latter. It was a 

 pleasing situation altogether, but it was better than being 

 outside, for, after all, the roof of the part of the room we 

 had chosen did not leak, and the cold wind could not get 

 at us. The only parts of the floor that were wet, were 

 those directly under the drip from the roof, and the part 

 close to the door, where the melting snow from outside 

 trickled through, and where the mud had been worked 

 up by passing feet into a small swamp. 



Going out presently, I saw my energetic but dirty 

 cook preparing our dinner in a small cleared space under 



