188 JERKING THE MEAT. 



blocked up with snow, and the torrent quite impassable ; 

 but being fully alive to the lazy and mendacious propensi- 

 ties of the Cashmeree, I was resolved to go and have a look 

 myself. It was necessary, however, to remain where we 

 were for a day, as the greater part of one markhor had 

 still to be fetched, and the whole of the other was still 

 lying in the snow-cleft where it had fallen. This delay 

 afforded an opportunity for a general washing-up of dirty 

 clothes. What a luxury it was to have a bath, and to turn 

 in again on my camp-bed and be lulled to sleep by the re- 

 sounding din of the torrent, that hurried down impetuously 

 within a few feet of the tent ! And as morning dawned, 

 how pleasing to hear the blackbirds (just like our old friends 

 at home), which were numerous here, mingling their notes 

 with the rushing sound of the water. As there was an icy 

 blast coming down the glen, and it began to rain heavily, 

 and most- of the men were away after the venison, I thought 

 I could do nothing better than take another turn in my 

 warm bed until a pretty late hour. 



On the arrival of the meat, my Goorkha servant Kirpa 

 at once proceeded to cut quantities of it into long strips, 

 with a view to jerking it for future consumption ; and ere 

 long, yards and yards of it were hanging in festoons from 

 frames of sticks, constructed over smoky fires lighted all 

 around. 



A terrific thunderstorm, accompanied by hail and rain, 

 prevented our moving early next day ; and after the storm 

 was over, the mountains were so enveloped in mist that 

 stalking was impossible. During our stay here Kazima 

 brought me a fine pair of markhor horns he had picked up 

 somewhere near. He was much perplexed at my not caring 

 to possess such a trophy, merely because I had not shot 

 their wearer, and said he should keep them himself, to dis- 

 pose of to some other person who might not be so particular 

 as to how they had been obtained. 



When the weather had cleared enough to allow of a move 



