HEAVY SNOW 179 



another chance I lay down and fired at the big buck, but 

 there was no precipice here to delay him, so the animal 

 did not wait to give me many shots, but disappeared in a 

 very short time, untouched. This was the fourth day after 

 this herd, and much the hardest we had yet had, and it 

 was with melancholy feelings that we retraced our steps, 

 and walked slowly back to camp. 



On the 27th we moved the tents, marching across the 

 Round Gorge where we had spent so many days. The 

 new camp was above the snow-line, and looked down on 

 the point where the streams of the two small ravines 

 above unite at the opening of the Kutyal nala. In the 

 afternoon we saw some ibex and tried to stalk them, but 

 the wind was unfavourable and we gave it up. Snow 

 began again to fall about 5 p.m., and it was still snowing 

 when I went to sleep. 



The Kashmiris had the other tent, but I was sorry 

 for the Balti coolies, who had no shelter except from an 

 overhanging rock. This, however, they are accustomed 

 to, and apparently consider enough. They usually light 

 a large fire in front of such a rock, and then huddling 

 close together, seem to sleep comfortably. 



The morning of the 28th of May broke on an unsullied 

 sheet of white on the hills around me. The tent walls 

 were like boards, and everything outside was frozen 

 hard. The snow had to be dug away before I could 

 get out. We went up to some high rocks which com- 

 manded a view of the Round Gorge, and there, far 

 below us, saw two of the herd we had been after tor so 

 many days. For a long time one of them had his head 

 turned in our direction and we could do nothing, but 



