AMONG THE SNOW PEAKS 6l 



stone or rock would occasionally make its presence felt 

 and a new position advisable. Still, the night passed 

 with apparent swiftness, and Punoo, watchful for the 

 morning star, put on the kettle in good time for an early 

 cup ' that cheers ' and warms. 



A start was made just before daybreak, so as to get on 

 the grassy slopes at the back of the ridge when the old 

 thar are out grazing. Clambering up over rocks and 

 freshly fallen snow, we found ourselves on the highest 

 point of the ridge just as the day began to break. Now 

 was the time to scan carefully with binoculars the com- 

 paratively level slopes of grass-covered alp which stretched 

 to the north. The view at sunrise, when the golden rays 

 of the dawn tinged the tops of a whole circle of snow 

 giants, was superbly beautiful. The slight sprinkHng of 

 snow from the previous evening's storm was rapidly 

 disappearing from the ground. Following the ridge 

 eastward, Punoo led the way from mound to mound 

 with hollows between, carefully creeping to each point 

 of vantage, so as not to show suddenly before every slope 

 was examined. The tracks of thar were numerous and 

 fresh, and the big foot-marks in the soft soil showed that 

 it was the right place for old males to cross from the 

 south side among the juniper and dwarf pines to the 

 grassy side of the ridge for their early browse. Having 

 proceeded some way up the ridge to higher ground, 

 we at last got sight of a flock of thar grazing quietly 

 in the hollow towards the top of the ridge where we were 

 placed. The wind was right, blowing up from them to 

 us. We lay flat on our faces behind the ridge. Having 

 put fresh caps on the rifle, and slowly peeped over a rock, 

 sure enough they were in sight not 200 yards below, 

 eight or nine fine black-looking shaggy bucks with their 

 heads down grazing, coming straight on towards the 



