310 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



Lens, combined with a . Slides, diaphragm, 



shutter, and other details might be left to 

 them." 



Their descriptions and promises left nothing to 

 be desired, so I placed my order with them, and 

 on my return to the remote station in the Hima- 

 laya where I happened to be quartered, found 

 myself in possession of the complete apparatus, 

 which cost me as much as two good rifles. 

 Anxious to test the range and capabilities of my 

 new instrument, I had out my old grey hill pony 

 to practise on, and made the syce hold him at 

 various ranges. Though a useful animal, and 

 unsurpassed on a hill road, he was no beauty to 

 look at, and my proceedings caused the syce the 

 profoundest astonishment. As, however, the trials 

 proceeded day by day, he began to look at the old 

 pony with fresh interest, thinking, no doubt, that 

 all did not depend on looks, and that there must 

 be some quality in him the existence of which he 

 had not hitherto suspected. As his cogitations 

 had the effect of making him groom the pony 

 more frequently than was his wont, I did not 

 enlighten him as to my object. 



The pictures were fairly successful. The defini- 

 tion was not quite sharp, but I put this down to 

 the pony's nondescript colour. I could only hope 

 that my ibex this was the noble animal I had 



