70 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



good deal when I stepped on them. The river below 

 was a raging torrent, snow fed, turbid and thick, tearing 

 along amongst heavy boulders, and looked violent enough 

 to dash to pieces any unfortunate who might happen to 

 fall in. When going over, I had to put my feet across 

 the division between each pair of logs, so as to get my 

 weight on both, for I found that one log by itself bent 

 too much to be safe. The three logs together made a 

 pathway some 2 feet wide. They had been roughly 

 planed, so as to form an approximately even surface on 

 the top, but the evenness left much to be desired. 



There being some delay in getting coolies, I told the 

 shikari to stay behind to bring on the loads, while I 

 walked on with Chand, so as to get some distance further 

 before night came down on us. The first mile involved a 

 heavy climb up from the Tak river. Clouds meantime had 

 gathered, and drops began to fall at odd intervals. This 

 opened up a pleasing prospect, considering that night 

 was coming on. There were no villages near, and we 

 had no tents, and did not even know where we should 

 get wood and water. However, nothing more than a 

 drizzle began, and through this we walked steadily, till 

 about 5 P.M. we came to a small stream, where we found 

 signs of camping and the traces of a deserted village, 

 formerly known as Malupur. The stream being clear, 

 and there being a few trees about, we resolved to camp 

 here for the night, so Chand went up to prospect for wood, 

 while I swept a place clean under a tree for my bed, 

 and then gathering my waterproof cape about me, sat 

 down philosophically in the drizzle, and awaited develop- 

 ments. The road had been so bad, involving such 



