178 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



ingly steep, and Abdulla inquired softly of the coolie 

 whether it would bear us or slip. If it slipped, nothing 

 could save us ; that we could see for ourselves. 

 Anxiously we looked all round to see if there was 

 any other way, but there was none. So, holding hands, 

 we stepped cautiously into the hollow, and pressed the 

 snow hard down, to give a good foothold. When we got 

 into the snow we let go, for there was nothing to be gained 

 by holding each other there. If the snow slipped we 

 must all go, and if it held we were all safe. Slowly we 

 made our way up, Abdulla leading and making the foot- 

 steps which we followed in behind. The snow held and 

 we crossed in safety, but it was about the most risky bit 

 of walking I did while in Baltistan. Climbing on, we 

 reached in about half an hour a patch of sloping grass, 

 on which, for some unknown reason, there was hardly 

 any snow. The place was greatly exposed, and was 

 about 300 yards from where the herd was lying. So, 

 leaving the coolie in shelter, the shikari and I laid our- 

 selves down tiat and proceeded to wriggle across it. But 

 it was no use. The herd was far too much on the alert, 

 and we were quickly detected. 



As soon as the ibex began to get on their feet, we 

 also jumped up and ran to the edge of the grass. This 

 brought us within about 250 yards of the goats, now 

 beginning to slowly file off. They had been lying on 

 sonie bare rocks which formed an island entirely sur- 

 rounded by snow, and on examining the place after- 

 wards, we saw that there was absolutely no way of getting 

 within range unseen. The route we had adopted was as 

 good as any. As there seemed now no likelihood of getting 



-- ^^'' 



