CHAPTER XLVI 



THE MARKHOR SEEM TO HAVE DISAPPEARED 



THE days follow one another slowly and are all very 

 much alike. We climb and sway, wrestle and tussle, 

 fall and pick ourselves up all to no purpose ! We melt 

 beneath the sun's glowing rays by day, only to freeze 

 beneath the cold rocks, near poor fires, by night. 



" I'll hold out for another two days, but after that 

 we start the retreat." 



Two coolies bring us fresh provisions. 



Paul writes : " We really must kill the red sheep. 

 The new batch of supplies from Uri has not turned 

 up. All the chickens are dead, and even the rice 

 and flour for Count Sahib are coming to an end." 



" How you must have stuffed yourselves down 

 there ! Wretched cook ! " 



Ram Sheik, of course, half-Christian, half-Hindu, 

 had the key of the store-room. And now the poor 

 sheep must suffer for his sins ! 



"I shall be down by the 2fth, and Lali is to 

 remain alive till I come ! This is my will and the 

 will of Allah ! " 



137 



