A LONG STALK 105 



see if there were any way into it from our side, as it was 

 evident the goats had gone down it. But there was not 

 — nothing but perpendicular walls of rock below us — so 

 we had to return to seek some other route. We were 

 now some distance below the markhor I had originally 

 seen, and knowing that there were two, if not more, much 

 nearer to us, we paid no further attention to him. 



It was necessary to be expeditious, for the goats, we 

 knew, might not find sufficient grazing near, and in that 

 case would go down fast. But it was impossible for us 

 to travel fast amongst the precipices by which we were 

 surrounded. Several times we had to turn back from 

 some rock to which we had cautiously climbed, by finding 

 that beyond it was a sheer drop which nothing could 

 pass. Abdulla was of little use in this ground, and I 

 had generally to lead the way. 



One place we came to was particularly difficult. 

 There was a V-shaped cleft in the rocks, forming a kind 

 of long shoot before us. It was very steep, and the slabs 

 of rock that met at the bottom of the shoot were perfectly 

 smooth. We could not see what was at the far end. If 

 it was a precipice we were done, as the return up the shoot, 

 unaided, looked almost impossible. Carefully, but rapidly, 

 we examined the rocks around, but could see no other 

 way down, so knowing there was no time to lose, I said 

 to Abdulla that we must do it, and got into the shoot. 

 Lying on my back and holding on to the Express with 

 my left hand, I slid slowly down, my weight keeping me 

 partly jambed in the cleft where the two slabs met. At 

 the bottom I sat up and peered over the edge, and seeing 

 that we could climb down, beckoned to Abdulla to follow. 



