IBEX-SHOOTING IN BALTISTAN 143 



for the Kashmiri is a pilferer first, last, and all the 

 time ; but I was fortunate in having Thomas as a 

 servant, whom I could trust with my last cent, and 

 as there was more or less jealousy between himself 

 and the Kashmiris, he was distinctly a stumbling- 

 block in their path. Now it happened that we had 

 long suspected the cook of making small inroads 

 on our tea, sugar, and rice supplies : these are great 

 delicacies to the Kashmiri palate, for their ordinary 

 fare consists simply of coarse flour, cooked and 

 formed into cakes known as chupatties. 



Not wishing to have to discharge our only cook, 

 however, we had wisely contented ourselves with 

 telling Thomas to keep an eye open and not let the 

 supplies disappear in toto. Moreover, Rule i of the 

 Indian cook-book says, " Do not discharge your cook 

 because he is dishonest : they are all dishonest, and 

 he may be a good cook." But alas for our broad- 

 minded intentions, Thomas's eye seemed to be open 

 day and night, watching for his chance to score on 

 the ill-fated cook, and a dramatic scene in camp 

 one evening resulted in the unavoidable breaking 

 of Rule i. 



We were startled just before dinner by a cry of 

 triumph from Thomas, and running out of the tent, 

 found him pointing one finger like an accusing angel 

 at the cook, while with the other hand he beckoned 



