NEWS OF GROMCHEFSKI. 97 



peared over the top of the ridge. Smoking a 

 pipe of bitterness, I wandered over the ground 

 where my first ram was shot, but no Ovis had 

 been about since my last visit, and turning back 

 to camp, I found Bower in before me. He also 

 had had a shot with no result. 



In the evening a man arrived from Chaddirtash, 

 the Kirghiz camp at the mouth of the valley, to 

 say that news had come from the Little Pamir 

 of Gromchefski, the Russian explorer, who had 

 sent to let Kutch Mahomed, the Beg, know that 

 he would probably be here in a day or two, on 

 his way to Raskum, and wished to ascertain where 

 we were camped, as he would like very much to 

 meet us. Not knowing Russian, I wrote him a 

 note in English, telling him where we were, and 

 asking him to join us for a few days' shooting. 

 I translated the gist of the note to the bearer, 

 and told him to explain it to Gromchefski if he 

 did not understand it. 



To the non-sporting reader, if I have any, de- 

 scriptions of our unsuccessful days' hunting may 

 seem unnecessary ; but if record only of good 

 sport were given, the trials of the chase would be 

 entirely overlooked, and a wrong impression con- 

 veyed. The hardships of the life, the fatigue 



