Shoots round a Hill Station 



after peak, range after range getting ever higher 

 and higher till the long line of white snowfields 

 and giant mountains framed the picture. In the 

 other direction, lower pine-clad spurs ran down 

 to the valley of the Dun ; beyond this again the, 

 by comparison, lower siwalik hills, and beyond 

 once more the flat, interminable plains just waking 

 to a sweltering day. 



Around us were short grass, flowers, and boulders 

 of grey rock. Some few hundred feet lower, pine 

 and deodar forests with thin jungle in places, grow- 

 ing thicker further down, but thickest of all in 

 the deep, dark ravines. Far below were the little 

 rushing streams, so far down that it was only with 

 glasses one could make out the little strips of 

 cultivation here and there along their banks. 



Woodyatt took his Gurkha and I had the 

 Gurwali, whose name was Hira something; I 

 couldn't remember the rest, but "Hira" was 

 familiar to me from Hira Singh, one of the 

 Marajah of Patiala's famous polo team, and I 

 suppose the finest native player in India at that 

 date, so I gave the shikara to understand he must 

 answer to " Hira Singh " till further orders. 



We started in different directions over the 

 steep, grassy slopes ; the hillside was all in spurs, 

 and up these in succession we crept carefully, and 

 had a good look the other side before venturing 

 on. As the sun got strong, some heavy white 



17 c 



