280 THE RETURN. 



leaving to the 20th July. The Baboo, writing the 20th 

 ult., makes no allusion to the receipt of my packet from 

 Leh, or from Diskit. This is perplexing and serious. If 

 my letters, application for extension of leave, &c., have 

 miscarried, I shall he in a considerable fix. He says, 

 however, that he had previously despatched these letters 

 by a coolie who, after twelve days' absence, returned, 

 saying that he was taken ill on the road. Perhaps, in 

 his letter first sent he mentioned the receipt of those 

 packets, and forgot to note the same in his second. I 

 hope so ; but must suffer suspense and anxiety till my 

 arrival at Leh. 



14th September. Up betimes for the arduous passage 

 of the Sassar, which I quite dreaded, so frightfully rough 

 and fatiguing is it, without a redeeming feature. The 

 coolies had preceded us, so we had no idea of meeting 

 with shikar up the valley; but as I strode ahead, Subhan 

 signalled me, and I at once saw a large flock of napu 

 feeding in tranquillity on the steep hill-side on my right 

 hand. They might have been three hundred yards off. 

 I took the Whitworth from Phuttoo, and, followed by 

 Subhan with the Enfield, moved gently up the hill, 

 straight for the animals, there being no other course. 

 Luckily the wind was down. I got to a big stone about 

 a hundred and fifty yards from the flock, scattered feeding 

 a few yards apart, and was obliged to wait some seconds 

 for breath and composure. The animals were quite un- 

 conscious of our neighbourhood. At last, taking the 

 opportunity of two coming together, one of which seemed 

 to me the largest there, and to have horns, I aimed. It 

 was most difficult to aim surely and with nicety, owing 

 to the grey light of morning, the grey colour of the 

 animals, and that of the ground, rendering the object 

 very indistinct. Whispering this to Subhan, I let drive, 



