2o8 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



mio^ht not have to climb back. So when we s^ot over we 

 heard the men's voices in the darkness coming down the 

 hill. I felt about for a good place for my bed, and having 

 found a fairly level spot, had my bedding unrolled there 

 and lay down. Thus in less than half an hour from the 

 time when the bear had been first seen, the stalk was 

 carried out, the animal shot, the camp changed, and I was 

 lying on my back in bed, looking up at the stars, while 

 the dead bear lay stiffening on the opposite side of the 

 river. It was a piece of unusual luck seeing him at all, 

 and wonderful good fortune being able to bag him before 

 dark. 



From what I had seen since I left Sarsal, I had come 

 to the conclusion that there was little use trying any 

 longer for markhor, and ibex I did not want. Appa- 

 rently getting a bear was a pure matter of chance, 

 though Abdulla said the Deosai plateau was a certain 

 find. My wife, I knew, must have reached Leh by 

 this time, and I thought the best thing I could do would 

 be to leave Baltistan and try for Ovis ainmon, and any- 

 thing else I could get in Ladak. Barasingh I deter- 

 mined not to go after till the winter. I accordingly told 

 the shikari that night that I would give up the nala next 

 day, and make the best of my way to Deosai. 



Next morning (the 20th) I examined the bear before 

 it was skinned, and found that it was a fine male, and 

 measured 6 feet \\ inches from the end of the tail to the 

 tip of the nose. The bullet had entered close to the 

 elbow of the left shoulder, and gone out under the right 

 armpit, making, as usual, at exit a larger hole than at 

 entrance. The fur was in good order except near the 



