278 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



apparently preferring this sort of country to the ravines 

 amongst which his brother of the plains of India is 

 generally found. 



That evening one of the Champa yak drivers was 

 understood to say, that by going down the Shewl nala we 

 could cross the Indus at a point much nearer Shushal, 

 than if we went by the ordinary route via Nimu. So it 

 was arranged that we should send the tents into the 

 Shewl nala the next day, while we hunted the gazelle 

 ground once more. 



Accordingly on the morning of the 5th my wife and I, 

 accompanied by Abdulla, Rupsang, and some coolies, 

 went on to the goa ground, the two shikaris keeping a 

 long way in front. But we had no luck, seeing nothing 

 whatever, though we searched very carefully till well 

 on in the afternoon. Toto, my wife's dog, however, 

 distinguished himself, for he succeeded in getting between 

 a marmot and its burrow, and captured that exasperating 

 little rodent. About 3 p.m. we gave up, and went down 

 into the Shewl nala. 



I had directed the tents to be placed at the first water 

 found in the nala, but instead, probably owing to the 

 anxiety of the yak men to get near a village for the 

 night, we found them at the village of Shewl itself, 14 

 miles from Pachatak. If the camp had been pitched 

 where I directed, I should have had another day at the 

 goa, for I should have been near the top of the ravine, 

 but from where I found it, the delay in returning to the 

 eoa PTOund would have been too crreat. So I resolved 

 to give up the gazelles for the time. 



Further, I learned when I reached Shewl that it was 



