232 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



antidote to excessive animal spirits, and makes 

 the avoidance of physical effort a thing to be 

 studied. So we never walked where we could 

 ride, and even got into the way of doing our 

 stalks in the saddle, at any rate the greater 

 part of them. 



The programme of a marching day was some- 

 what like this. In the early morning dusk a 

 voice outside our tent would be heard : " It's 

 time " ; and day by day repeated, the simple 

 words in the cold and dark of a Tibetan morn- 

 ing came like a knell, for if the early morning 

 sleep is dear at sea-level, believe me it becomes 

 much more so when you get up to a great 

 height. 



In half an hour, more or less, muffled in furs, 

 we would be sitting in the other tent, and old 

 Abdulla, ex -trader and ex - caravan - bashi, who 

 had travelled over half Asia with the explorer 

 Ney Elias and was now our trusted factotum, 

 would be bringing in the samovar and smoking 

 antelope chops. Breakfast would be eaten in 

 the bustle and apparent discomfort of breaking 

 up camp, striking tents, rolling bedding, and 

 loading up animals. Without dallying over 

 this duty meal, we would start on ahead of the 

 caravan, about the time the sun began to touch 

 the tops of the mountains. And how slowly 



