The Father of all Sheep 2 1 3 



interest in one wife I found him quite an in- 

 teresting companion. 



Next morning, breakfast was eaten by candle- 

 light, and we moved out of camp as the first 

 glimmer of light flickered over the sky. We were 

 accompanied by another Ladaki of Hanle, who 

 acted as guide and led the way. Of course we 

 were all riding, sitting on ponies would be a 

 more correct phrase, for in a country where the 

 lowest valley elevations are over 14,000 feet 

 above sea -level, any form of conveyance seems 

 preferable to one's own legs. Our road lay over 

 a low pass towards which we moved in single 

 file through the gloom like ghostly shadows; 

 though the thuds of Siring Namgyal's heels on 

 his sleepy pony's sides had a distinctly material 

 sound about them. We reached the top of the 

 pass as the surrounding blur of mountains 

 began to assume shape, though still dark and 

 colourless. Waiting there till we could use our 

 glasses, we watched the grey sky become blue, 

 the dark wisps of cloud on the horizon flush 

 to pink and then whiten ; and sand, rocks, and 

 mountains draw their own tints from the light 

 of day. Below us, in the valley, dark amorphous 

 patches turned into green grass, and on them 

 some moving animals suddenly stood out sharp 

 and clear, though mere specks in the distance. 



