ii8 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHUHR chap. 



clearly quite unapproachable. Then we had breakfast, 

 after which the shikari told me he had put aside some 

 mutton and chupatties for my dinner, as he said it was 

 doubtful if we should reach our camp that night. I did 

 not know where the tents had gone, but he said it was a 

 long way on, and we should have to wait till four o'clock, 

 probably, before the ibex would move. After breakfast I 

 amused myself doing chess problems, and spent a pleasant 

 afternoon, at intervals looking at the herd through the 

 glasses as they lay asleep. 



About 4 P.M. it struck us that Chand might as well 

 be sent to the village of Shut, on the off-chance of his 

 being able to get some eggs and a fowl, and of finding 

 us again before dark. So we sent him off, and then, as 

 soon as th-e ibex began to get up and stretch themselves, 

 we went downwards behind the ridge, and searched for 

 a way to cross the gully and get immediately below the 

 goats, so as to intercept them. 



It was near 5 p.m. when we found ourselves, after a 

 somewhat dangerous descent, in the gully, and the ibex 

 were then in much the same position as they had occu- 

 pied all day. Evidently they did not propose coming 

 any lower, having probably been frightened by the bear, 

 and it was useless, therefore, to waste any more time 

 on them. Besides it was getting late, and we had to 

 find some place with water near, or else get up to 

 the level of the snow. Where we were there was no 

 water, no snow, and no firewood, but some distance 

 beyond we saw a deep cutting in the rocks, and it seemed 

 probable that it might contain water. But there was 

 no appearance of wood about the place, and a fire was 



