16 IBEX SHOOTING 



ridge. The day had now warmed up a 

 good deal, and the sun had got a fair view 

 into our valley, so that though I had long 

 since divested myself of my second pair 

 of knickers and my cardigan, and had 

 donned my blue glare-spectacles (as had 

 also the coolies), I was fairly dripping with 

 the exertion and warmth, and was begin- 

 ning to ask pretty frequently " How much 

 further ? " " One kos more " was the invari- 

 able answer, which put me in mind of the 

 " mile and a bittock," so familiar to those who 

 know bonnie Scotland, and which means 

 anything between one and ten miles. 



However, we did at length emerge from 

 our side-valley into the main one, and saw 

 the village of Wardwan on the far side of a 

 small hill river, which we waded. Phew ! 

 how cold the water was ! and how we held 

 our breath as it came up above our ankles, 

 knees, and finally reached our belts ; water 

 which an hour ago had been snow, and which 

 apparently had to keep constantly on the 

 jump to prevent itself from becoming ice. 



