CHAPTER VIII 



MARKHOR AND SHARPU SHOOTING IN BALTISTAN 



|HE beginning of our long march to the 

 markhor country was marked by an 

 episode which was as amusing as it was 

 unexpected, and which I must truth- 

 fully aver at the outset came about through circum- 

 stances over which we had no control. A perfectly 

 innocent remark to the shikaris began it all, and 

 from the moment of that remark the ball was started 

 and kept rolling, while we looked on aghast and help- 

 less at the extraordinary and unprecedented turn 

 of events. 



It had to do with the arrival in Kashmir of 

 Wheeler, who, to our great delight, had sent us 

 word of his approach and had asked us to meet him 

 in a certain nullah not far away on a certain day ; 

 and our innocent remark to the shikaris was merely 

 to the effect that he was coming. To be perfectly 

 truthful, I must, however, state, that in our an- 

 nouncement to the shikaris of our friend's arrival, 

 wishing to secure their particular interest in the cor- 

 dial welcome which we, after our long separation, 



