14 SPORTING WANDERINGS. 



My next four months' leave I decided to try 

 for markhor in the Pir Panjal, and met old 

 Sadik, a shikari who had lived there all his life, 

 and knew every markhor by name. For three 

 weeks we worked in the Bakri and Andar nullahs, 

 but only saw small heads, so went off to Kashmir. 



I got Rasaka, a shikari I had known formerly, 

 and started for the Wardwan, having promised 

 to get some ibex for the mess. All the good 

 nullahs were taken ; but on my way I happened 

 to meet the occupant of Crushnai, in the Ward- 

 wan district, who had come as far as the 

 Margan pass to meet his wife. This he offered 

 to me, as he had soon to leave, promising to let 

 me know when he did so. Meanwhile I went 

 into the Mangal nullah, where I had not only 

 great grief, but a narrow escape for my life. 



As we went out in the morning, Rasaka told 

 me how two sportsmen and their followers had 

 been killed in this nullah, showing me the place 

 where the snow came on them. I remarked that I 

 had little experience of avalanches, but was more 

 afraid of the rocks when they came down with a 

 run. Now and again in our lives a casual remark 

 seems prophetic, and it proved to be so on this 

 occasion. 



