IN THE WURDWAN. 



57 



Subhan now suggested giving up the attempt : but a 

 sort of infatuated obstinacy seized me. As well as the 

 heaving of my distressed lungs permitted, I articulated, 

 with an upward glance, ' Go on/ Indeed, I felt at the 

 time a sort of necessity to move upwards, in spite of all 

 difficulties, so appalling was the aspect of the descent now 

 necessary ; so clinging to the surface, embracing, as it 

 were, as much of the mountain as I could clasp, and help- 

 ing myself occasionally with my spiked staff, I still strug- 

 gled upwards, coming to bare smooth places that I thought 

 it impossible to climb over. At times, pausing at such 

 critical spots, I felt my head wavering, my courage waning, 

 and my nerves unstrung, my hold relaxing, my feet slip- 

 ping, and then a sort of frenzy seized me, and, summoning 

 every energy I possessed, I recklessly dashed on, on all 

 fours, feeling that to hesitate for one moment, to keep 

 hand or foot a second on one spot, would inevitably plunge 

 me into the abyss below. 



The shikarries, each carrying a gun in one hand, made 

 their way with extreme difficulty, and, I believe, not 

 without trepidation. But they possess a clutch, and a 

 tenacity, and adhesion of toe, peculiar to this variety of 

 biped, which gives them firmness and confidence any- 

 where. It was a very different thing for me. 



At length, we gained the top of this spur of the moun- 

 tain, which actually offered no footing, the ridge being 

 sharp, and the other side not only precipitous, but hol- 

 lowed out. Here lying, holding on tooth and nail, we 

 observed the ibex, which had taken the alarm, and were 

 rapidly moving away ; and even had they remained, we 

 could not have got at them. So all our trouble, and the 

 horrible ordeal of fear I had undergone, were utterly 

 thrown away. 



" Had we not better remain up ? " I asked Phuttoo, 



