DIFFICULT DESCENT 



When we came to Sultan Ali we found him curled up 

 under a rock fast asleep ! Waking him — not over gently 

 — we went on. The descent was very difficult, for not 

 only were the rocks steep and the footing insecure, but it 

 was necessary to move without noise, as a rolling stone 

 would probably have been fatal to our chance of success. 

 We were also in full view of the markhor I had noticed, 

 and though he was so far off that we could only just make 

 him out with the naked eye, we could not be sure that he 

 would not detect our moving forms on the ridge. In 

 places the rocks were nearly perpendicular, and we had 

 to let ourselves down with our hands, and feel for crevices 

 with our toes as we hung. In other places there was 

 sandy clay with shaly stones imbedded in it, and these 

 constantly gave way and started to roll down, when we 

 had to clutch convulsively at them, or call in an agonised 

 whisper to the man beneath to stop them. Many a stone 

 that looked likely to fall we picked up and put into a 

 position of safety before passing on. Presently we came 

 to a slope that was in full view of the markhor I had seen, 

 to which we were now of course much nearer. For some 

 time we sat behind a rock, partly to recover wind, partly 

 to decide how the slope was to be attacked. It was 

 rather steep and sandy, and there was no way of going 

 round it. Apparently the best way was to slide down on 

 our backs one at a time. With much trepidation I saw 

 Abdulla glide over the edge, and work his way, feet fore- 

 most, down to the hollow below without disturbing a 

 stone. I followed on my back with my heart in my 

 mouth and my eyes fixed on the markhor, ready to stop 

 dead if he moved. Little by little I scraped my way 



