CHAP. XXII A SNOWY CLIMB 403 



of it broken up very fine on the surface, and our feet 

 sank deep into it, and slid back at every step as we 

 worked our way on. At intervals the cloud would blow 

 over, and a little sunlight struggle through for a few 

 minutes, only to be succeeded by another cloud and 

 more snow. 



Occasionally, when the atmosphere was opaque with 

 snow, and there was, therefore, no chance of seeing any- 

 thing, we sat down on the lee side of a rock and tried to 

 get shelter. By about eleven o'clock we reached the 

 top, having met nothing but a herd of some dozen or so 

 uryal females and small males, who got our wind and 

 promptly bolted. While searching from the top the 

 opposite nala — the one we had gone up the previous 

 day — Rupsang detected a ram where we had seen the 

 three. As he was some distance down the hillside we 

 resolved to have breakfast first, and to go after him later. 

 So a fire was lighted under a rock, and my breakfast 

 warmed up. While at it the snow came down heavily. 

 I was nearly frozen by the time w^e started for the 

 stalk, and most unwillingly faced the cold wind beyond 

 the shelter of the rock under which I had been sitting. 



The hillside, all the way to where the ram was seen, 

 was fine slate shale, deep in some places, and thinly 

 sprinkled over hard clay in others. Close to where the 

 ram lay a long ridge of slate rocks stood up out of the 

 shale, and the best plan of attack evidently was to go 

 down behind this ridge, and then get up to the top of it 

 for the shot. So we set off to carry out this plan. 

 When we began to get near the animal great care had 

 to be exercised, as the loose slates kept slipping and 



