The Wild Goats and Sheep of Dardistan 75 



their various crops, they erect stone pillars on 

 some prominent sky-line near their village behind 

 which the sun sets. Thus, when the sun sinks 

 exactly behind a certain pillar, they know they 

 should begin to sow barley, and so on with their 

 other crops. The markhor, they say, similarly 

 watch for the sun to set behind some well-known 

 crag ; and when this takes place, they know their 

 solitary existence for that year is at an end. 



In Chitral, the rutting season, which, it may be 

 mentioned, is the easiest time for stalking, is some 

 ten days earlier. To be in a good markhor glen 

 during the fighting time is a thing to be remem- 

 bered. One evening I call to mind in the glen 

 of Krui Kandu (" pink almond blossom"), when 

 from all quarters of the precipitous pine-covered 

 hills came the short hoarse cries of invisible 

 combatants. Now and again two rivals would 

 emerge fighting into the open. Hearing up 

 simultaneously, they would come down together, 

 their heads meeting with a crash like two trees 

 being knocked together. Each would manoeuvre 

 for the upper ground, and up they would go again, 

 and then crash once more would go those horns, 

 as tough apparently as those made by the 

 Israelitish king to "push" the Assyrians with, 

 the furious combatants being all the time quite 

 regardless of the fact that they were fighting on 



