42 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Ave 14, 1884. 
Che Sportsman Couvist. 
HUNTING IN THE HIMALAYAS. 
Lights and Shades of an Indian Forester’s Life.—II. 
MY. camp had been pitched nearly two months at Lak- 
kah, spring had passed into summer, tle snow Ine 
had retreated to i/s impassuble limit, leaving a rich emerald 
girdle between the topmost belt of timber and the eternal 
snow, and once only, for a few days, had the race instinct 
impelled me to breast the steep mountain’s side with the 
object of killing something; but that I had not wholly 
dreamed away my time my garden was a sufficient voucher, 
Although not large, it was well stocked and everything 
growing vigorously. My flower beds, too, inclosed with 
rock work, were becinning to bloom, and around the whole 
camp there was an air of comfort and civilization such as 
the wayfarer would hardly look for at the camping ground 
of aman who had no guarantee that he would return the 
next scason, Asa rule, I had given two days a week to the 
inspection of timber operations, and for the rest my morn- 
ings had been devoted to office work, the afternoon,.from 4 
o’clock until dusk, to my garden, and the evening to my 
books. I had cast many wistful glances to the emerald 
tableland towering high above the opposite bank of the 
river, but £ had persuaded myself to wait a little longer, 
while the muttons were putting a little more fat underneath 
their skins; but now the middle of June had arrived, I felt 
an inexhaustible store of energy within me, a restless desire 
to expend some of it. My work was well forward, the river 
was covered with sawn ties drifting idly down the broad, 
compiratively smooth surface in front of my camp, There 
Was nothing, in fact, to deter me, so I summoned the village 
headman and made arrangements for fifteen coolies to start 
the following Monday (this was on Saturday), The time 
Suited the villazers—it was between seed time and haryest— 
thete was nothing but weeding and hoeiny, and that was 
woman's work, 
T had got through my office work early this morning, and 
as soon as my visitor had departed, 1 got out my shooting 
irous, and finding them all in order I set to work to fill a 
stock of cartridges, a work on which I was busily engaged 
when my bearah appeared before me all aglow with excite- 
meat and announced ‘*Swhid log atiah hat” (There are Huro- 
pean gentlemen approaching). Giving the order for break- 
fast—il, was then about 11—1 set off to meet the travelers, and 
had nof gone far betore they hove in sight, A few words let 
me know that one was ©, of the Forty-second Highlanders, 
the other M, of the Thirty-first Native Infantry, who had 
taken two months furlough, and instead of spending it in 
the pleasant dissipation of some hill station, had pushed on 
to my camp, bent on devoting their holiday to la chasse. They 
were both subalterns, both Scotch, and likely-looking men 
for mountain climbing, and bemg ly no means a jealous 
sportsman, I eave them a right cordial welcome. 
A few minutes’ walk brought us to the camp, and select- 
ing a place for theii tents, we turned into mine. The table 
was already cleared and Jaid for breakfast; my bearah, who 
knew his duty, was ready, corkscrew in hand, and over a 
rich foaming glass of Bass, conversation became animated 
and unceasing, until the mutton chops and curry and rice 
divided our attentions. My preparations fell in admirably 
with their advent; the Zemindar, who knew he would be 
wanted, was in walling, and getting his orders for all the 
available force at lis command, the rest of the day was spent 
in preparations, the travelers being by no means sorry to 
make a day of rest of the intervening Sunday. 
They had come in light marching order, but the ascent up 
fhe mountain’s side was somewhat different from traveling 
on the made road, and although some of the stoutest moun- 
tuineers could breast it with fifty pounds on their back, I 
I knew that our requirements would necessitate all the cre- 
tins and half idiots of the village being pressed into our ser- 
vice, so | made my own marching camp as light as was con- 
sistent with my notions of comfort, and by 8 o’clock on 
Monday morning, we were ready for a start with a week’s 
requirements for ourselves, and, of course, food supplies tor 
the villagers. 
"T don’t see any game up there this morning,” said M,, after 
taking in the tableland with his glass. Ismiled—it looked 
so near—the river was not nearly half a mile wide at the 
spot, then came a belt of timber and the tableland immedi- 
ately aboveit. ‘‘Thigisno Scotch Ben, M.,” said I, ‘‘thatyou 
can press right up it without letting a sob confess your toil; 
three hours hence you will have a better idea of distances in 
these mountain wilds.’ The Joads were soon adjusted, not 
without gome display of temper on the part of the few cre- 
tins, and marching through the village, where all the women, 
children and dogs turned out to greet us, we soon gained the 
bridge, whieh was thrown across at the extremity of the 
Lacca yalley, where the river narrowed down suddenly to 
fifty yards. Here we paused a minute to watch the fies, as 
they were one after the other drawn down by the under cur- 
rent, to reappear a hundred yards below, rising end foremost 
with a force that lifted them nearly their whole length out 
of the water, Then skirting the Ganges in silence for a mile, 
forits deafening roar rendered conversation impossible, we 
came to a spot where two giant boulders spanned the whole 
 yiver so that it might be crossed at that season dry-footed at 
forty fect ubove the rapids, although two months later the 
floods from tle meliing snows would roll over them, 
We now turned aside from the river and breasted the 
mountain, the village headman leading the way. The road 
was steep, but there was a well-defined pathway, the laying 
out of which had been the work of generations. Leave it 
and you would soon find yourself before some impassable 
face of rock, but by keeping on it the worst pinches were 
negotiable with the aid of tree roots and grass tufts, Some- 
times we mounted through belts of hardwood, until, cross- 
ing the saddle of a spur, we found ourselves suddenly in a 
pine forest; by and by we found the undergrowth consisted 
largely of black currants, the fruit not yet ripe; higher still 
the path led through dense growths ot hill bamboo, the best 
stalks of which made capital light fishing-rods; but what 
Nature meant by growing them above an icy river with no 
fish, | haye not yet determined. Higher and higher we 
mounted. The hours slipped by, bnt higher and higher still 
the forest seemed to rise above us, until at last, glowing with 
perspiration and panting with the toil, we entered the birch 
pelt, and goon saw light breaking through the trunks of the 
trees, A few hundred yards more and we standon the 
limits of timber vegetation and throw ourselves down on the 
rich emerald sward, for emerald it is, as a whole, although 
diversified by myriads of wild flowers of every hue; but it is 
no flat tableland, it still ascends ata pretty stiff slope as far 
us the eye can reach. The coolies were not far behind, and 
instructing the Zemindar, or headman, and one of my ser- 
vants, who had kept with us, to select a camping ground 
within « hundred yards of the forest, and close to water, we 
lighted our pipes and listened to the distant roar of the 
Ganges some three thousand five hundred feet below, We 
had had a pretty arduous march of about eight miles, which 
we covered in three hours, The coolies were all up by noon, 
and while the camp was being pitched, a cold breakfast, 
witn Bass’s pyramid brand, was served and discussed, and 
after the coolies had partaken of a frugal meal, the best of 
them were as impatient as we to commence business. 
We toiled up the ascent about a mile together, stopping at 
every hunared yards to take breath, for at 14,000 feet 
above the sea it is heavy work toiling up hill on a full 
stomach, but after the first mile we felt easier. Here we 
came to a halt on the edge of the tableland, which not being 
timbered on the southern slope, was the favorite resort of the 
goats and muttons of the region, A short discussion settled 
the question of the campaign. The coolies, of whom ten 
were with us, were sent down the slope with instructions to 
drop one man at every hundred yards, and then beat across 
in the direction we were heading, in the hopes that the game, 
if sprung, would work upward, While this was being ar- 
ranged we skirted the precipice for another quarter of a mile, 
when we came to a, halt, and both M. and C. electing to go 
forward, I was stationed here, and telling the other two not 
to station themselyes more than a quarter of a mile apart, I 
dropped the cartridges into my rifle—a double-barrel 10-hore, 
shooting round ball—and stood on the alert. Soon the hal- 
looing of the coolies was borne on my ear, and they gradually 
caine nearer and crossed below my standpoint, not in line, 
the roughness of the steep side of the precinice forbade that, 
but at different points from a quarter of a mile to a mile 
below me. Presently I heard a shot on my left, and looking 
around: suddenly, saw a serao* within twenty-five yards, 
coming oyer the edge of the tableland right down on me. 
He saw me at the same instant, and as he swerved sharply 
around and gave me a broadside, I fired. I heard the thud 
and saw the muscles twitch, but the beast bounded on for 
about a hundred yards, and then turning head down the pre- 
cipice I saw bim disappear headlong. ‘he coolies heard the 
shot, saw the blind downward plunge, and some ten minutes 
later a shout came up letting me know that they had found 
the kill nearly a mile down. 
Two distant shots feil faintly on my ear, and after a min- 
ute’s interval, a third, Taking my field glasses I glanced 
from crag to crag, but saw uothing until just in the act of 
lowering them I thought I saw some dark specks in motion, 
Readjusting the glasses I was just able to make out a herd 
of ter (pronounce tare) sweeping over a point nearly a mile 
away; so leaving the coolies to deal with the serao, I pushed 
forward to the next station, whence I caught a distant 
glimpse of all heading for C.’s post, for which I also pushed 
on. Here I found the two in exciting debate over the ter. 
M. bad seen them first heading up the mountain so as to 
reach the tableland between him and C,, and as they passed 
him at little over a hundred yards (as he thought), and were 
then disappearing down the edge of a ravine, he could not 
resist the temptation, and fired, instead of going along the 
tableland and catching them at close quarters as they came 
up. Descending to the spot at which he last saw them, he 
found it over three hundred yards, and, seeing no blood, 
climbed up the steep and had just reached the tableland 
when he heard ©.’s shots, and pushed on to be in at the 
death. He found CG. in no enviable frame of mind. After 
M.’s shot he saw the herd cross his path some four or five 
hundred yards below, but apparently they disappeared down 
a ravine, which they followed up to the table land, coming out 
on C.’s flank. C., unsuspecting their proximity, was engaged 
in whispered conversation with the Zemindar, when the latter 
sprang to his feet crying, ‘‘Fire, Sahib, fire!” Some thirty 
yards on C,’s left was anarrow ridge, and as he turned he saw 
a score of ter turning tailon him. Bang, bang! and they bad 
all disappeared. Reaching the spot they found a deep ravine, 
down which they saw the herd plunging at a hundred yards 
off, and C, put in another shot but without effect, Meantime 
the Zemindar had detected a drop of blood on a blade of grass, 
and although there were no further traces, he pronounced a 
hit, and had gone down the ravine. I was listening to the 
account when a shout came up from below, and we all 
started down the steep ravine, and guided by shouting, suc- 
ceeded after some breakneck hazards in reaching him, to 
find that he had disemboweled and was now cutting up a 
young buck ter. He had seen no more blood he told us until 
he came on the dead beast, ©,’s snap-shot had entered the 
bullseye in the middle of the white under the tail, and cut- 
ting through the lungs had Jodged in the neck, so that all 
the bleeding was internal, Outting the beast into quarters, 
which must have been fully twenty-five pounds each, we 
started on our return home, but before we had negotiated 
two hundred yards, I called a council and proposed leaying 
three quarters behind us for the coolies to fetch on the 
morrow. The proposal secured a ready assent, and we again 
set forward, each of us burdened with his rifle and the 
Zemindar with a hindguarter of ter. We kept as near a 
level course as possible, and came out where I had shot the 
serao, and sat down to rest and fill our pipes. ‘‘What would 
you take,” Lasked M. and C., ‘‘to go back now and fetch each 
his quarter?” There was no need for answer. Carrying our 
rifles in our left along a slope sometimes of sixty degrees, 
we had. needed our right to grasp atuft of grass at every step. 
Reaching the camp, we found that the serao, which must 
have weighed over 250 pounds as he fell, had been cut up 
into loads for each man, and now the whole camp was round 
eager for its apportionment. The flesh is coarse, but makes 
a good soup, so telling my khansaman to keep the head and 
half a leg for that purpose, I gaye the Zemindar control of 
the balance. There was a good 175 pounds between 20 
coolies, or 7 pounds apiece including bones, and although 
they had tasted no flesh fur months, they had barely picked 
the last bones by daylight, but they had sat or lain round 
the camp-fire and cooked and eaten at intervals the whole 
night, 
"The morning was chilly, a hoar frost was on the ground, 
and it was uo slight luxury to turn round in bed and find hot 
coffee and eggs and toast, but having thus fortified our inner 
men we were ready for the ficld before the sun was half an 
hour high. We took sixteen men with us, exclusive of the 
Zemindar, and marched in a body to where we had left our 
game; it was undisturbed, and telling four men to take the 
three quarters and head to the camp, we pushed on toward 
the snows, the herbage becoming scantier and the country 
more broken as we advanced, The field glasses were con- 
stantly in requisition, and at length a flock of goorgal or 
* A large antelope with horns rarely exceeding ten inches. ah 
+The chamois of the Himalayas, An old malein good condition 
will weigh nearly 200 pounds. 
mountain sheep were made out a full mile off. “‘It will take 
us more than an hour to stalk them,” said the Zemindar 
after laking in all their bearings, “‘but they will not move 
far until afternoon.” “We went down a ravine for some dis- 
tance, clambered up its precipitous side, over the ridge, 
across another rayine, then along a steep slope for nearly a 
mile, then across another rayine, which we had to descend a 
long way before we could breast its steep side, then over the 
ridge and down into another ravine, which the Zemindar 
told us we had only to follow up to come on our muttons, 
Bidding us rest a while before we commenced the ascent, he 
took another man with him and climbed up the opposite 
ridge to try to get a view of the game, and as he peered oyer 
the crest | saw from his motions that he had sighted other 
game, but from the absence of caution 1 could infer that 
that, too, was at some distance. He then turmed and looked 
up and across the ravine for those we had just sighted, and 
pointed them out to his companion. Returning, he informed 
us that our flock was grazing quietly about half a mile up 
on the left bank of the ravine looking upward, that ibere 
was another flock not very far off, and two large male ter in 
a Cavernous rockat no great distance down the mountain, A 
council of war was held, and we determined to dtyide our 
forces. C. and M., taking eight of the coolies, went up the 
ravine, and I, taking the Zemindar and the other fuur coolies, 
went for the ter, with the understanding that after shooting, 
with whatever results, we would return to where we then 
were, and to make assurance doubly sure I had the lunch 
basket left there. 
Mounting the ridge with my party, I could just make out 
two dark spots on a ledge of rock about half a mile off in a 
bee line. There was another ravine at my feet, the opposite 
ridge of which curved away in the direction of the ter. 
Crossing this ravine tv the opposite ridge, we followed it 
down some distance until it terminated abruptly with a sheer 
descent of a hundred yards, and from this point had aclear _ 
view of the ter, but they were still two hundred yards off. 
Lying down with face downward, with a man holding me 
by euch foot, for the incline was stiff, | drew a steady bead 
on one of the beasts; but at that moment [ heard distant 
firing, echoing and re-echoing from hiJl to hill. As it sub- 
sided, I again leveled my rifle, but at the moment I did so I 
thought I saw something move right below me. Taking my. 
eye from the rifle, and peering down, I saw two brown bears, 
which had just walked leisurely into my range of vision. 
Lowering my rifle, I succeeded with some difficulty in get- 
ting my shoulder far enough forward to bring the sights in 
line with one of the bears; but I did it all leisurely, for there 
was no fear of anything disturbing the bear until I did, and 
was again about to pull the trigger when I saw that I had 
the two-hundred-yard sight up. While adjusting this, both 
beasts unfortunately turned heads toward me, and I saw that 
if they made another step or two they would be too far under 
me for eyen a perpendicular shot; so, getting the saddle of 
one quickly in line, I fired, There was a fearful growling 
and swearing, and as the smoke cleared away 1 saw the two 
bears fighting tooth and claw, I got in the other barrel and 
saw one of them fall, and the next moment [ saw one run- 
ning and the other rolling down the incline. Both disap- 
peared, but satisfied that one was hard hit, | told the men to 
draw me back, and, getting on my feet, told the Zemindar 
to take my rifle and three men and go after the skin, while [ 
smoked 4 pipe and waited progress. I kept my No. 12 
gmoothbore wilh me, and dropped a couple of ball cartridges 
into it for an emergency. The party had to make a consid- 
erable detour to get down, but in about a quarter of an hour 
I heard a shot might under me, then a shout, which meant 
victory, and in another hour I caught sight of them return- 
ing with the skin, which they carried by turns in a kilta (the 
basket strapped to the shoulders, so often seen in Holland 
and some parts of Germany). They soon joined us and re- 
ported that the bear had rolled down about fifty feet, where 
he disappeared, and on examing the skin they found that he 
had stopped both balls, the first on his haunch and the gec- 
ond through his shoulder. = 
We then started for the trysting place, and on nearing the 
last ledge saw amanon the lookout for us, and knew that 
the others were there before us. ‘*What luck?” they shouted, 
as we hoye in sight, and the cheery tone of the inquiry im- 
plied that they were in a satisfactory position to answer the 
same question. They had bagged a couple of gooral in 
prime condition. 
Mutual congratulations were followed with all the details 
which we discussed with owr lunch, the Bass serving the 
double purpose of washing down the viands and keeping our 
tongues wagging. C. and M.—as they told their story— 
had worked up to near the herd, when they sat down pant- 
ing and breathless, and let one of the men climb the bank 
to mark the exact whereabouts of the flock; the mountaineer 
just raised his eyes aboye the bank and ducked instantly, 
and returning cautiously, told them to walk just one hun- 
dred yards further when, climbing the side of the rayine, 
they could get a close shot. As soon as they had sufficiently 
recovered their breath, M. proposed that on reaching the top, 
he would count one, two, three, low but distinctly, and in 
even time, and both having their rifles at the present, shout 
fire as the ‘‘three” was uttered. On coming to the top they 
raised their heads, and there within twenty yards of them, 
was the flock of muttons staring at them preparatory to a 
scamper. They forgot the one, two, tree, and both fired 
as fast as they could throw their rifles to their shoulders, 
The next instant the flock was in motion, and the second 
barrels being discharged at about fifty yards, one beast was 
seen to drop behind with a broken leg: Reloading, they 
started in pursuit, and being breathless at the end of a hun- 
dred yards, and the wounded beast haying come to a stand, 
they fired two more rounds at him, dropping bim at the 
second round. By this time the flock had reached the foot, 
of a bare, rocky peak, and as they sprung up it from ledge 
to ledge, one of the coolies saw a mutton miss his spring and 
fall, and on going up it was found that he had been shot in 
the flank, probably at the first discharge. This was an old 
ram with a splendid pair of horns, but the ball having gone 
clean through, they were unable to decide to whom the tro- 
phy should belong, As M, had fired shell, and C. a spher- 
Foal ball, the problem presented no difficulty; but as 1 was 
not called on for a decision, I made no comment. 
Lunch over and our pipes lighted, we once more turned 
our faces homeward or rather campward, Being cousider- 
ably above the level of the camp, the mountaineers made a 
down hil! course of it the whole way, but we Britishers with 
our shooting boots, preferred striking upward to the table 
land where we could set our feet down flat; the four men 
with the bear skin preferred the same course, so bidding the 
main body of the coolies keep their eyes open if they heard 
‘ashot, we set out on our mareh, The tableland was soon 
gained close to the snow limit, and seeing a covey of snow 
a 
