46 TO THE WURDWAN. 



glee at the idea of the long faces of the contending ones, 

 when they should find themselves outwitted. 



We procured half-a-dozen fresh hands from the village, 

 sent them to the rear to assist in bringing up the baggage, 

 and then moved onwards ; and, having gained some three 

 miles, crossed the river by an ingenious bridge of some 

 forty yards span, a considerable body of water of some 

 depth rushing below, and took post at the village of Ofith, 

 across the enemy's route, and securing possession of the 

 Kuzuznai valley, whose overhanging cliffs are famous for 

 ibex. The village is situated in the very mouth of the 

 valley, the position, therefore, admirable. 



Heavy rain coming on, I got to leeward of a big tree, 

 and in the course of two or three hours had the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing niy three personal attendants coming up, 

 along the left side of the river. They had passed through 

 the enemy's camp, their appearance producing consterna- 

 tion and serious enquiries as to where their saheb was, 

 and where he was going to. The enquiring shikarry was 

 informed that their saheb was not going to be done, but 

 they did not know where he would stop, most likely in 

 the best place, Expressions of astonishment at the length 

 of our march, and ill-concealed signs of disappointment 

 and defeat, on the part of shikarry, who threatened to 

 give us the 'go-by' yet. Much merriment at this recital 

 among my forces. Notwithstanding the (I should think) 

 twenty-four miles rough march, I started off to hunt, in- 

 formation of the habitat of bears in the vicinity having 

 been given. There were only about two hours of day- 

 light before us ; we recrossed the river, and two 'bara sing' 

 were descried by the keen-sighted Subhan, feeding high 

 up on a hill side. Pursuit was resolved up a snow drift 

 in a ravine, then up the steep side of the hill, crawling 

 with hands and feet, literally clinging to the side of the 



