128 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



14 and i6-bore, loaded with conical bullets and four 

 drachms of powder. The biggest bull had been hit four 

 times, but seemed none the worse, while his companion, 

 also getting a bullet in the chest, thought it wise to 

 retreat up the valley. But the first, discovering his 

 enemy, staggered on, foaming with rage, and fell to the 

 last two barrels, which struck him in the head within a 

 few yards of the moraine. He was game to the last, and 

 was only stopped by weight of lead — a grand beast, 

 seventeen hands at the shoulder, and weighing as much 

 as any prize shorthorn. 



Great was the joy of Munnoo, who begged to be allowed 

 to put a bullet in him. He performed the usual halal — 

 throat-cutting, etc. He not being a Mussulman, and un- 

 able to repeat the usual prayer for the soul of the animal, 

 the meat would have been useless to people of that per- 

 suasion ; but there were only two followers of the Prophet 

 in the camp, and they pretended that the halal was all 

 right, like sensible men, and said nothing. The head was 

 cut off with the skin for preserving, and the skin removed 

 and dried. The flesh was cut up in strips and hung by 

 the men to dry in the hot sun ; it was coarse and tough, 

 but came useful to the carriers to save flour and rice. 



I had sent a message to Hodgson to come and follow 

 the other bull, which had retreated to a deep valley under 

 a glacier. He came next day, and was successful in 

 shooting it. We had several other stalks after big bulls, 

 which haunted the valleys of the range running eastward 

 of Gurla Mandhata. There is a very fine peak called 

 Limi belonging to this range, where some great glaciers 

 exist at the heads of the valleys which debouch into the 

 river flowing towards the east. All these valleys were 

 of a totally distinct character from the precipitous gorges 

 and caiions on the Himalayan side. The climate was 



