MAGNIFICENT SCENERY 



the sea, its dome-shaped summit looking colossal, as it 

 shone above the clouds climbing slowly up the snow 

 fields on its sides, nearly 40 miles from where I was. On 

 all sides the view was bounded by ranges of mountains 

 deep in snow, with high white peaks rising above the line 

 here and there. It was a glorious panorama, and I had 

 ample time to admire it, as I lay at full length on the 

 edge of the hill waiting for the markhor. 



Soon the leading goat disappeared under a ledge of 

 rocks some distance below, and as I did not see him 

 emerge, I concluded he had lain down for his mid-day 

 siesta. Two others presently went off to the right, and 

 the fourth stood inspecting the rocks about him with 

 great care for a long time after the others had gone. At 

 last he also seemed to make up his mind that there was 

 no danger to be apprehended, and slowly followed the 

 first buck under the ledge. We waited for a little to see 

 if he would show himself again, and as he did not do so, 

 we prepared to climb down. 



There was no way directly from where we were, but 

 a small ridge to the left ran out from the main hill, and 

 down this we proceeded — Abdulla, Dingo, and I. The 

 chief trouble was to move without stirring the stones, as 

 a single pebble rolling downwards would probably have 

 started off both the goats. At one corner it was as 

 much as we could do to get down at all, but we man- 

 aged it somehow, and a few minutes after stood on the 

 ledge under which the two markhor had disappeared. It 

 was then a little after 9 a.m., and I took the Express 

 from Abdulla's hands. The ledge was a large sheet of 

 rock with a flat top, and evidently hollowed out under- 



