KRISH NULLAH 71 



till dinner. After dinner Lassoo came over 

 to my hut for his usual after-dinner chat, a 

 thing I always looked forward to, for Lassoo 

 was a man of brains, and could understand 

 anything; and such a nature's gentleman 

 that it was always a pleasure to talk with 

 him. I know no one who was a better 

 listener, and few with such a variety of 

 experiences ; I learned more about how to 

 manage a Cashmeri in five months' talk with 

 him, than I could have done in two years if 

 I had only my own experience to guide me. 

 Then we made our plans for the morrow. 

 Lassoo said that we could easily get near 

 the ibex if they stayed where they were ; 

 but that if they moved much, the ground 

 would be awkward, and that consequently 

 we must get up level with them, by dawn 

 if possible. There would be a good moon at 

 three, he said, and the route along a well- 

 defined valley running right up the hill was 

 very fairly easy ; so that if we were on foot 

 at three, we might expect to be near them 

 at seven, as they were comparatively low 



