172 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



cream-color. Perry, I learned by a letter which he 

 sent me by a coolie-runner, had already secured his 

 first head. 



We were now obliged to remain for some days 

 doing nothing, as Kadera, not believing that I should 

 get my two markhor in such a short time, had sent 

 the pack-coolies back to their village, Hilbu, and 

 they had to be sent for, with a delay of three days. 

 But I enjoyed this rest, for my camp, as I have said 

 before, was in a beautiful spot looking out towards 

 the Haramosh range, whose grand snow-peaks took 

 on the most superb colors in the setting sun and af- 

 terwards by moonlight, so that the evenings spent 

 there beside the camp-fire quite made up for any 

 ennui during the day. Besides, I had fortunately 

 brought a few good books along, and was able to 

 employ my time to advantage, reading being quite 

 impossible when on the march or hunting, owing to 

 one's excessive fatigue at the end of the day. 



It was furthermore exceedingly amusing to me to 

 watch the shikaris and their ways, their character 

 being a study of continual interest. They are, of 

 course, thieves first, last, and all the time, looking 

 upon the sportsman as a moneyed sponge to be 

 squeezed as dry as their ingenuity can manage. 

 Fortunately for me, I had Thomas as a counteract- 

 ing element: he hated them and they him, and it 



