3 1 2 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



delightfully cool in our faces during the heat of 

 the day. The second day, passing through the 

 belts of juniper and pine, we emerged about even- 

 ing on an open slope, knee -deep in grass and 

 flowery stars and bells, below the jagged crests of 

 the range. We were approaching our camp, which 

 had been sent on the previous day, when Gul Sher 

 called my attention to the bulky leather case con- 

 taining the camera, which was being carried by my 

 "tiffin cooly," and asked what it was. Further 

 concealment was impossible. I entered into an 

 explanation as to how hundreds of sahibs had shot 

 thousands of ibex, but no one had yet succeeded 

 in taking a photograph of a wild ibex a feat that 

 was far more difficult, and therefore more meri- 

 torious. 



"After having taken his picture, sahib, I 

 suppose you shoot him?" 



"Yes," I said, with the mental reservation, 

 " if he's there." 



" Of course," he replied, and so the conversation 

 ended. He had let me down easier than I had 

 expected. Next morning I and my shikari and 

 a cooly carrying the photographic paraphernalia 

 were up before light, and by the time rocks and 

 trees began to be visible and the snow-peaks 

 in the distance to glow with the light of early 

 dawn, we were among the crags ; looking down 



