XII CAMP WITHOUT WATER 197 



a permanent coolie, and he, with the inveterate laziness 

 of his race, only half-filled it. Consequently we were 

 short of water when we stopped for the night. 



About three o'clock we went on, and leaving the river, 

 followed the track by which we had come down on the 

 23rd of April, To get up as far as possible we continued 

 marching till it was almost dark, and then stopped where 

 a little level ground was found. The coolies, after 

 depositing their loads, scattered to search for rain-water 

 lying in hollows in the rocks. They found some, but 

 not enough, and most of the men must have lain down 

 to sleep thirsty, I am afraid. 



Next morning we were all astir long before dawn, as 

 we had to get to the snow-line somehow, and no one 

 knew quite how far we had to go. I had my early tea 

 by the fire-light, and day was just breaking when we 

 started. The shikari and I reached a small but sufficient 

 patch of snow by 9.30 a.m., and as we had taken the pre- 

 caution to bring a lightly-laden coolie with us, we sent 

 him back with a load of snow for the other men, who 

 arrived about noon. 



It was a pleasant, breezy spot where we stopped, with 

 many flowers. Two or three fine cedars and birches 

 were near the snow patch, and my tent was pitched on 

 the level top of a grassy mound. Far below we could 

 see Sarsal and the bare rocks round Garmpani, and to 

 the north the nalas and hills over which I had been 

 shooting, from Shut to Kutyal, lay stretched out before 

 me. Bunji was shimmering in the heat haze to the 

 west, and Gilgit was just visible to the left of the 

 precipices amongst which I had shot the big markhor. 



