124 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



directed our tents to be taken. But no camp was there, 

 for we found the ground deep under snow. So we 

 had a weary search for it over the hillsides, and 

 eventually found it about 9.30 a.m. half-way up the 

 Honuspa nala. 



When breakfast was over, a meal which was much 

 appreciated after the short commons of the preceding 

 night, Sultan Ali was sent off, with a promise of full pay 

 and a reward of five rupees, to seek for the wounded 

 bear, and Abdulla started up one side of the nala to look 

 for ibex. If he saw any he was to send me word. About 

 4 r.M. he came back and reported nothing visible, so I 

 took off my grass shoes and proceeded to put my tent in 

 order. 



Half an hour later the shikari came up hurriedly, and 

 said there were ibex close to the camp. Quickly I put 

 on the grass shoes again, and Abdulla taking the 

 Express and I the -2,02), we started up the hill at the 

 eastern side of the nala. This consisted at the begin- 

 ning of rather precipitous crags, but we soon got on to 

 slopes where small bushes and cedars were dotted about. 

 In half an hour we came in sight of the ibex. There 

 were some ten or twelve, rather scattered, feeding slowly 

 up the hill. 



The best was an old buck with horns that Abdulla 

 took to be 40 inches. He was the best ibex I had up 

 to that date seen. The brown line down his back was 

 very dark, and in marked contrast to the light tawny 

 colour of his sides, and the sides of his neck and legs 

 looked almost black. Evidently he was an old beast. 

 He was the lowest down of all, a watchful female being 



