I20 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



though sandy and dry, was covered with what looked hke 

 the droppings of bats, and the remains of a fire showed 

 that the place had been used as a shelter by wandering 

 shepherds. While the men were collecting dry wood and 

 cutting grass, I employed myself sweeping clear a place 

 to sleep on. Very soon a fire was blazing on a sloping 

 rock near the entrance. By the light thus obtained I took 

 off my soaking foot-gear, flinging away the worn-out grass 

 shoes, and hanging the socks up on rocks around to dry. 

 The men lighted another fire some distance off, and made 

 themselves as comfortable as they could be with hardly 

 any food and no extra clothing. I spread my lui over 

 the dry grass shaken down on the space I had cleared, 

 put my brief bag at the top for a pillow, filled my canteen 

 with snow from the lower end of the cave, and setting it 

 to melt, got out the bits of mutton and chupatties left 

 from breakfast. Masses of rocks in front blocked the 

 view, but I could catch glimpses of the stars here and 

 there through the cedars outside, and with the cheerful 

 fire blazing brightly in front, felt that circumstances might 

 have been very much worse. 



Thinking that hot mutton would be an improvement 

 on cold, I took my frying-pan and proceeded to heat the 

 meat over the fire. But the floor was very uneven near 

 the sloping rock, and tripping over something I dropped 

 the frying-pan, and it and its contents rolled down into the 

 dust below ! Obviously there was to be no meat for dinner, 

 but I had five chupatties left, so setting aside two for 

 the morning, I ate three with a little salt and enjoyed 

 them exceedingly. A drink of snow water and a nip of 

 brandy from the flask finished the dinner, and then I 



