Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



below. Also, I have brought a light tent for him, 

 and he can sit by the fire all day, and needn't 

 trudge over the hills except by short stages when 

 camp is moved. 



But now my breakfast is done. Think of eating 

 half a tin of " bouilli " before 5 a.m. in London ! 

 Cramming some cartridges into my pockets, I 

 take my rifle, hand my hybrid euoplia* to my 

 shikara, and we are off, followed by a coolie with 

 some more "bouilli" and my water-bottle. We 

 strike off up a watercourse which necessitates 

 climbing rather than walking ; shale, sharp rocks 

 and a small torrent are its component parts, the 

 latter useful as a means of deadening our noise. 

 Just ahead of us is the top, it always is in the 

 Himalayas, but no one ever really gets there. 

 However, after a stiff pull, we arrived at a few 

 yards of more gentle gradient before the steep 

 ascent recommences ; this continues right and left, 

 and is worn in the centre into a regular path, not 

 made by man but by the feet of thar, who have 

 probably used it for untold centuries. This track 

 continues to the left, round a spur, and cautiously 

 we follow it, and peep round ; we see no thar at 

 present, but a great gorge running into cul de 

 sac in the hills. The whole of this gorge is under 

 our observation, as also the valley behind us; 

 we therefore decide it is a good spot to sit down, 



* A weapon for shot or ball. 



54 



