CHAPTER VII

BLACK BEARS

Two Bears in one Beat-a Coolie Mauled-After Bárá Singh-Road to Gilgit-Tragbal Pass— Gurais-Gaggai Nullah-Snowed up-Quit the Passes-Nanga Parbat-Snow-line Left Behind.

CHAPTER VII

BLACK BEARS

But you've no remorseful qualms or pangs
When you kneel by the grizzly's lair:
On that conical bullet your sole chance hangs,
'Tis the weak one's advantage fair,

And the shaggy giant's terrific fangs

Are ready to crush and tear;

Should you miss, one vision of home and friends,
Five words of unfinished prayer,

Three savage knife stabs; so your sport ends
In the worrying grapple that chokes and rends :—
Rare sport, at least, for the bear.

LINDSEY GORDON.

'HE next day was spent in marching to Keypoor,

THE

still down in the Valley of the Pohru; and we had a restful afternoon wandering about its banks. Our tents were again put up in a grassy orchard; and towards evening a whole troop of monkeys came out of the forest, walked across the shallow river, picking their way over the stones, and invaded our orchard. They swarmed up the apple- and mulberry-trees not far from us, shaking the boughs and tumbling down fruit into the arms of the leery old ones waiting underneath.

Khubr was brought us that evening, and very

encouraging khubr too. Lalla had secured plenty of coolies for the next morning, and we went early to roost with renewed hope.

Damp and chilly dawn saw the faithful band leaving their camp shrouded in white river mist, picking their way across pastures and through a field of Indian corn dripping with dew, and thence disappearing into the jungle. Lalla and S. were walking first, myself on the tat came third, and the chota shikari brought up the rear. The coolies had been divided into three bands, and sent on some miles from where we were eventually to take our stand.

The dim light of the morning as yet barely penetrated the gloom of the jungle; deodars towered over our heads, and on either hand formed masses of impenetrable depths, suggestive of containing much of the unknown. Silently we trod, avoiding stepping on a branch or anything which might betray our presence.

To

I soon had to leave the tat behind, tied up to a tree, where I hope he enjoyed himself more than I should have done under similar circumstances. be left behind alone was one of the last things one wished, and I crept and climbed and scrambled assiduously, keeping my breath for the time when it would be wanted, and often gratefully accepting a tow from the chota shikari with his stick.

It was very hot as well as very silent work. We were following a small stream, and coming to a