114 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



when I put the tape over them, that one measured 48 

 and the other 48^- inches. This was great luck indeed, 

 as I did not know when I bagged him that I had shot 

 so good a head. The corkscrew sweep was very deep, 

 and this was what took off a good deal from the appear- 

 ance of length. The head of the first small male I had 

 shot would answer, I knew, for setting up these horns, so 

 I did not altogether regret that day's work. 



On the 29th we moved higher up the nala, and 

 camped on a nice little strip of grass by the stream. 

 We searched for ibex, but saw only females and young 

 ones, and Abdulla came to the conclusion it was not 

 worth while staying here any longer, and advocated a 

 move towards Honuspa next day. 



Accordingly, on the 30th we sent our camp down 

 through the Shut village to the Honuspa nala, marching 

 ourselves (Abdulla, Chand, Sultan Ali, and I) round by the 

 hills. We started as usual a little after dawn, Abdulla 

 leading with the Express, and I next. About half an 

 hour after leaving camp, and while we were going along 

 a series of ridges and hollows sloping down to the Indus, 

 I saw Abdulla, on coming to the top of a ridge, suddenly 

 sit down and begin taking my rifle out of its cover. 

 Coming up to him, he whispered, " Bear," and looking 

 over the crest, I saw a red bear about 250 or 300 yards 

 off, coming quietly towards us. He was about the same 

 level as we were, and was moving along the inner side 

 of the curve, and apparently going to cross our ridge, 

 close to the spot we were standing on. Every now and 

 then he stopped to sniff the ground and the air around 

 him. As he was coming very slowly there was ample 



