LADAK. 147 



On reaching this place I threw myself down discon- 

 solate beneath a shady willow, the shikarries endeavouring 

 to divert me from my gloomy mood by anecdotes of acci- 

 dents and mishaps of a far more melancholy colour than 

 mine ; how a shikarry had shot a man in his own field 

 for a bear, this very man having indicated that identical 

 spot as the place the bear would be found in, then by fate 

 being led thither himself, and, concealed by the high grain, 

 there slain. Several similar instances were narrated. 

 Phuttoo, the most eloquent and storied of the trio, wind- 

 ing up with an astounding accident that befell his father 

 who, when with Golab Sing and his army, in some un- 

 accountable manner shot a bear ; the ball, passing clean 

 through the bear, killed outright six sepoys, all in a lump, 

 and wounded a seventh in the arm. The Maharajah 

 conducted an inquest personally on this lamentable 

 slaughter of his warriors, and found the circumstances 

 so marvellous, and Phuttoo senior's ' kizmet' so wonder- 

 ful in effecting such destruction with one ball, that he 

 over-looked the loss of his men, and presented him with 

 two hundred rupees, backsheesh ; a nice, veracious, little 

 narrative this. The other shikarries, of course, vouched 

 for its accuracy. 



On arrival I despatched a man to ascertain the nature 

 of the wound of the bullock, and to whom it belonged, 

 in order to compensate the owner. Resolved not to hunt 

 to-morrow, needing some repose after these long marches, 

 I arranged to send out two villagers to scout. After din- 

 ner the messenger returned, bringing intelligence of the 

 wounded beast which turned out to be a cow, less valuable 

 in these parts than a bullock ; which latter, being used for 

 carriage of merchandise, are more highly prized. The wound 

 he seemed to think not mortal. I differ : a Whitworth 

 bolt is no trifle, and the frothing blood a bad symptom. 



L 2 



