A Day after Urial 65 



and it was not long before we discovered them, 

 moving slowly now, but going steadily up the hill 

 two thousand feet and more above us. The fore- 

 most of them had nearly reached a shoulder of 

 the mountain, behind which ran a big deep 

 valley, which entered the Indus a mile or so 

 above Lechir ; the same ravine, in fact though a 

 great deal higher up which had blocked our 

 way the previous evening. 



Over the shoulder and into this valley they 

 wandered by ones and twos. Without saying 

 anything, we had both settled that the urial 

 were to be followed. Finally, only two ladies of 

 the herd were left on the ridge to cover the 

 retirement, and these, after scraping themselves 

 comfortable beds with their forefeet, lay down. 



Is there anything more aggravating than the 

 inevitable female left on the look-out? and what 

 abuse the poor unconscious beast is made the 

 subject of! How many times, after hours of 

 weary waiting, have we seen her rise to her feet 

 and have congratulated ourselves that at last 

 she will follow the herd out of sight and leave 

 our road open ; and how many times has she 

 disappointed us, and we have watched her with 

 exasperating deliberation improve her bed, first 

 with one forefoot and then with the other, and 

 subside on to the ground again ! I have had as 



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