66 A PICTURESQUE BIVOUAC. 



in such a way as to render it necessary to clamber down, 

 one by one, on to this covered shelf of rock, below which 

 was an almost sheer drop of at least a hundred feet, 

 terminating with a very steep slope of incalculable distance 

 towards depths unseen from above. 



Taking with us our burly but agile guide, Kurbeer and I 

 lost no time in making a start after the tahr we had seen 

 below. Difficult as the ground looked from above, we found 

 it fairly easy, although toilsome to work over. As it was 

 very favourable for stalking, I had not much difficulty in 

 getting several easy shots. But no sooner did I uncover 

 my right eye to take aim, than its sudden exposure caused 

 both eyes to water, blurring the sights of the rifle and every- 

 thing beyond them, which of course made my shooting rather 

 erratic. It was almost dark when we got back to our cave, 

 and, much to the regret of its occupants — who had been 

 looking forward to a hearty supper of tahr-meat — empty- i 

 handed. Notwithstanding the general disappointment, the 

 place looked cheerful enough, and highly picturesque withal, 

 as the fires blazed and crackled away, shedding a warm 

 ruddy glow on the black, smoke-stained rock beetling above, i 

 and throwing up the wild figures of the mountain men, 

 either in dark relief or in high light, as they moved to and i 

 fro, or squatted before their little fires, cooking their even- ; 

 ing meal. After dinner and a pipe, my blankets were spread l| 

 on the softest spot I could find on our stony floor. Fortu- '■■ 

 nately I am not a somnambulist, or, from the position of my ;; 

 couch, my ambulation might have taken me down over the | 

 rocks below at a pace I never could have dreamt of. j 



Next day my eye was still so bad that it would have 

 been wiser to have given it a rest than to have gone out 

 merely to disturb the game as I did, by firing several random 

 shots. Of course the natives ascribed my want of success 

 to the protection from harm afforded to the game there by 

 the deity of the mountain. I discovered one fellow who 

 had accompanied me from Shore, smoking my rifle with 



