172 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



something move. Hurrying down, I found Gul 

 Sher rubbing his eyes and just recovering con- 

 sciousness. The avalanche, instead of burying 

 him, had thrown him out ! There have doubt- 

 less been equally "hair-breadth" escapes in the 

 annals of Alpine adventure, but in many years' 

 hunting experiences in the Himalaya, this was 

 the most extraordinary that has come to my 

 knowledge. Gul Sher was no worse than bruised, 

 though his clothing was torn in a remarkable 

 way, and through the whole of his rapid descent 

 with thousand of tons of snow he had retained 

 his hold of my hat ! He accepted his escape 

 with the same philosophic calm with which he 

 would have met his death. Having thanked God, 

 he declared he heard a hound baying, and that 

 my messenger with the hound must have arrived. 

 We got on the ram's tracks again, and following 

 them up, after some time came on to the poli 

 standing on a boulder, round which two big 

 Badakshi hounds were leaping and baying. Fac- 

 ing this way and that, he was quite unmindful 

 of our approach, and I was glad to be able to 

 end his sufferings. 



