I02 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chaiv 



to the crest, and sloped directly towards the Indus, 

 enabled this to be done, for by going along it for some 

 distance we knew we should be able to see back into 

 places amongst the rocks, which would have been in- 

 visible from above. Leaving Chand on the top, we crept 

 cautiously downwards. I stopped first, and took up a 

 position near a good-sized rock. Sultan Ali went lower 

 down, and lying flat on his face, began searching the 

 ground below him. Abdulla went on. I was sheltered 

 from the wind, and the warm sunshine was very pleasant, 

 as with the binoculars up I examined the crannies in the 

 rocks before me. Immediately under where I sat, a stone 

 would have dropped for quite 500 feet without touching 

 ground, and it was at once clear that nothing without 

 wings could get up amongst the rocks near the crest. 

 For below them a series of smooth precipices descended, 

 and were lost to view in the dark gullies underneath, 

 but on the opposite side there were rocks to which access 

 was plainly possible from the valley, and I searched these 

 very carefully. At last I made out what I thought was 

 a markhor lying under a rock. It was a long time 

 before I could feel sure, he was so far off, but at last I 

 saw a leg move and then I was certain. But the glass 

 was not strong enough to show me whether he was worth 

 going after or not, and I regretted my folly in not bring- 

 ing a powerful telescope. 



Just as I was getting up to go in search of Abdulla, 

 he turned up with his face streaming with perspiration, 

 and said he had seen a markhor amongst the rocks below, 

 in a place where a shot was possible. I showed him the 

 animal I had noticed, and then we started downwards. 



