98 THE MARKHOR 



Out of them all I only succeeded in hitting one 

 black bear. 



And I was particularly keen, too, on getting 

 the musk-deer, with its two long tusks hanging 

 down. Paul was as disappointed as I was, and 

 went about all day with a miserable face. The 

 animal's glands would have been worth, at least, 

 thirty rupees to the poor fellow, and he could 

 have lived in comfort on that for three months, 

 or have passed, at least, one pleasant evening in 

 the company of a bazaar beauty. 



The musk - deer is generally very timid and 

 difficult to approach, but this particular one was 

 unusually tame, and the bears, too, made excellent 

 targets of themselves. Nevertheless, I missed them 

 all except the one old Bruin. What else can 

 you expect on the I3th? 



" Strange to find black bears so high up," 

 remarked the shikaris ; for we were getting into 

 pretty high regions by now, where meadows and 

 pasture-land disappear, and nothing but thin grass 

 vegetating amidst rocks and stones takes their place. 

 Fewer and fewer become the fir-trees that stand 

 out sharply against the grey and yellow background. 

 Slowly they are awaking from their long winter 

 sleep, blinking their budding eyes and stretching 

 their slender limbs towards the northern Spring: 

 here and there delicate little branches show the 

 birth of a new life. 



