SHIKAR IN THE WURDWAN.
16th May. Off up the Wurdwan, not the Kuzuznai, the shikarries
reserving that.
We had a tremendous climb ere we even looked about for game, two hours,
I should think, of exhausting efforts. I wore grass sandals, or could
not have kept my footing. Subhan, the leader, the younger of my three
shikarries, with astonishing acuteness of vision, at last suddenly
dropped to game, and pointed out several bara sing feeding together.
They were in a spot most difficult of approach without discovery;
and these creatures at this season are wonderfully wary. There were
no sheltering timbers under which stealthily to steal upon our prey.
However, after consultation, leaving three attendants to remain behind
in concealment, we climbed upwards, hoping to find covering ground, but
had to stop, as we could not but discover ourselves. Here some of the
deer were seen to lie down, one only standing, and great hopes were
entertained of a successful stalk.
Two other deer came into view higher up the mountain. We remained
still, watching about an hour, when a backward movement, and then
further ascent was determined on. As we turned about on our sides to
move off, two does, that were close upon us in the rear, dashed off and
away down hill, but without any sensible effect upon our hopes. It was
a most arduous struggle up the hill side, slippery with hoar frost, and
fearfully steep. With extreme difficulty we reached a narrow ledge, on
which we all four could just cling, some one way, some another--a giddy
height--when, to our infinite disgust, we saw the three attendants
moving out below. All sorts of signs and gesticulations were made to
stay them, but on they blundered. I had yesterday pointed out to the
shikarries the folly of having these followers, as, forming with us a
long line when ascending or crossing a hill, _we_ no sooner pass out
of sight, than _they_ come into view; so that any animal getting a
glimpse of us, and regarding the spot from which we have passed, sees
the followers coming across the same place, and, of course, decamps. I
had tried to impress the importance of this simple fact upon them; but
they are so wedded to their own habits, and trust so entirely to luck,
rather than skill, in approaching game that, though acknowledging the
force of my observations, they did not act upon them.
At last this blundering train, looking upwards, saw our impatient
gestures, and, mistaking their meaning, only quickened their pace. At
length they did understand, and lay down.
We now descended, and crossed the face of the hill towards the deer. We
discerned them now afoot, leisurely moving upwards, and cropping the
fresh grass that came in their way. They were in a favourable place
to approach now: but we had to be cautious, and keep out of sight.
We moved with studied step, and reached the position from which we
expected to open fire--nothing visible: we thought the prey probably
behind some of the many inequalities of ground, peered everywhere, and
shifted position, till the whole ground was closely scanned; but no
game. They might have gently crossed the hill feeding: but no, they
were clean gone.
A misgiving now struck me, and, looking back, there were the abominable
coolies plodding contentedly on. They had moved, when we descended,
and came right out in sight of the deer which, of course, they had
completely scared away.
In this unsuccessful chase we crossed some fearful places, the most
difficult being sloping masses of snow overlaying precipices, yawning
for the unlucky wight whose feet might slip. I gave up the attempt
to cross these unaided, after one narrow escape, having slipped and
fallen, but fortunately recovered myself. The mode of crossing was
by digging holes in the snow for the foot to cling to, as we slowly
progressed. It was, without exaggeration, imminently hazardous, and I
must own to have been unnerved more than once.
I breakfasted, and lay down to wait until afternoon, when the animals,
having reposed in some inaccessible lair during the day, again come
forth, out into the grassy slopes, to feed.
Subhan, the ever quick-sighted, espied two bara sing far distant and
below us: the spy glass confirmed his vision. The plan of operations
decided upon, we made our approaches over easier ground, being now
lower down, yet some thousands of feet high, and gained a rising ground
overlooking the place in which the animals had been seen feeding. We
could not see them now, but saw a large stag high up above us, quite
out of hope. We remained long watching, and saw nothing, so descended
to move nearer, under the impression that the deer had gone lower down
the hollow; making for the edge of which, we became suddenly conscious
of the presence of our game, who had been all the time in front of our
late position, concealed by the rising ground. One, a fine doe, turned
round, pausing, and presenting a broadside, hurriedly I grasped a
rifle, put up a sight, and fired, only to miss. The affrighted animal,
giving a prodigious bound, hurried after the others up the hill,
pausing and turning, now and again, to gaze back upon their intruders.
I put the Whitworth up, once or twice, but forbore to fire.
This great disappointment resulted from a mistake on the part of Subhan
who, in his eagerness, did not exercise his usual cautious approach,
reconnoitring all around, but advanced direct on the point where he
thought to find the game. Following them, we came to a deep ravine,
forbidding further advance in that direction: the chasm, coming down
from the summit of the mountain, widening as it descended, defied, I
thought, any efforts of mine.
A violent shower of rain coming on, compelled us to seek shelter,
such as we could find. The shikarries, all three, tried to screen
themselves behind a large fir: I got capital shelter to leeward of a
fallen pine, whose massive roots, upturned with the earth about them,
afforded good covert. I was about twenty yards from the shikarries
who suddenly all jumped up, calling out to me, "Saheb, Saheb," and
rushed, terror stricken, each, gun in hand, to me for refuge, and
squatted down, cowering and exclaiming, "Balloo, Balloo,"--the bear,
the bear--pointing to the tree from which they had just bolted. I had
already ordered them to be quiet and give me a gun, all of which they
grasped, and, in their terror, made no effort to uncover; so that had
Bruin, who shewed his ugly countenance, come right on, straight at us,
he would have found us unprepared. But, catching a sight of my face, he
altered his course, and, sheering off, rushed by us some fifty yards
below. I hastily fired at him, but without effect.
He was a very large bear. It is quite unaccountable, this attack
of his. He was close on the shikarries, before they were aware of
him. He came up the hill on the top of which their tree grew: they
fled precipitately shouting, as I have said, their countenances
exhibiting the utmost terror. The brute, also, gave a fierce roar,
which certainly would lead one to think him bent on mischief. But
there are few instances of their being the aggressors, I believe: so
Bruin's intentions must ever remain a mystery. If, annoyed by the
storm, and finding human beings in his way as he rushed blindly on, he
instinctively held on his course, and uttered his angry threats, simply
to frighten them out of his path, which I think probable, he certainly
succeeded to a marvel: for I never saw fellows in a greater funk,
helplessly unnerved.
This ended the first day's hunt in the Wurdwan, when although we saw
plenty of game, and three shots were expended, we had the misfortune to
be unsuccessful.
17th May. Full of pleasing anticipations of success to-day from the
favourable reports of game being abundant.
We went up the Kuzuznai, a narrow valley with precipitous, inaccessible
cliffs on the right-hand, and grassy slopes of a steep pitch running
down from the mountains on the left, abundance of snow on either
hand. We met a native, whose replies, when interrogated as to game,
I judged from what I could gather to be rather discouraging. After
having advanced two or three miles from Ofith, we reached a small farm,
a couple of log houses--all the dwellings in this valley are of the
same description, rough log houses roofed with slabs of timber--a few
patches of ploughed land, but unlimited grazing. It was here thought
advisable to send back, and order up camp to be nearer the shooting,
which was done accordingly.
A bear was seen in a hollow on the left hand. We went after him, but
if there before, he was no where visible, when we had climbed up to
greet him; so we descended, and pursued our way up the narrow valley,
crossing repeatedly large masses of snow, much of which had accumulated
by downward drifts, and some by slips from the overhanging mountains.
It was in this very valley that, some few years ago, Dr. Rae and five
native attendants were overwhelmed and swept to destruction by an
avalanche; among the number was the brother of my shikarry, Phuttoo who
himself, with an officer of the 87th R.I.F., narrowly escaped perishing
also, by rushing forward as the great mass swept down with resistless
force--thus avoiding the fate of the less fortunate, whose bodies
remained buried under the superincumbent mass for many months, in spite
of great exertions made by large bodies of labourers to exhume them.
Whilst I am writing in my tent, thundering sounds of falling masses of
snow are audible now and then, and, looking out, I see the 'debris'
falling down the cliffs opposite. It is grand and imposing.
We wended on our toilsome way, struggling across snow, and gradually
ascending. Presently we descried a bear ahead, soon after another,
both feeding on the slopes. We endeavoured to get at them, but whether
they got wind of us, or what not, is matter for imagination, but we
only arrived to see each successively leisurely taking his way up the
mountain.
We had now come to the end of our beat in this direction, further
progress being forbidden by the snows: so we descended, and took
possession of a mass of rock, isolated in an extensive tract of snow,
filling the valley from side to side. Here we breakfasted.
Rain came on. I wrapped myself in my 'choga,' warm Cashmere over coat,
and lay down, falling into a disturbed and restless sleep, every now
and then waking from the rain on my face, rapidly getting wet through,
and this in the midst of snow. At length up got Subhan, who with the
others had been sitting closely wrapped up in their blankets over a
fire they had contrived to light, and proposed that I should remove
below the rock. I had previously asked him, if there was no better
place to put the guns than on the rock, and he had answered 'No'; so,
surprised at this proposal, I followed him, and found a comparatively
comfortable habitation formed by the projecting ledge of this massive
rock, in which, late in the season, lambs are sheltered. There, in
much hampered attitudes, the height being only three or four feet,
and the floor formed of large pieces of rock that had fallen down, I
endeavoured to make the best of things. A small fire, the space only
admitting of a very small one, was lighted, and thereat we tried to
warm our chilled limbs, and dry our dripping clothes. I had no idea
that I could endure so much smoke: I sat right in the middle of it,
there being no help for it. I chatted with the shikarries, who related
anecdotes of the sahebs with whom they had hunted before. After a
time they went to sleep, some sitting on the snow, others lying on
the pieces of stone. The rain poured. I should have been quite dry,
had I only come here at first: however, with an occasional shudder,
more, I believe, from the knowledge that my outer garment was wet,
and the extremely dismal effect of the combination of rain and snow
without--dense clouds, too, actually enfolding us at this elevation,
probably 15,000 feet--I bore up cheerily.
I was at length left to myself, the shikarries preferring the larger
fire outside, on the top of the rock, though exposed to wind and
rain, to the small amount of caloric derivable from my few embers.
I stirred up my fire occasionally, and sat, thinking and thinking,
guiding my thoughts to pleasant subjects and agreeable recollections
as much as possible, until I felt not only quite contented, but even
disinclined to move. Thus I passed the time from 10 A.M. till
5 P.M.
At that hour Subhan came to me, and said it had cleared up, and I
should be better above. I obeyed. The clouds were still heavy and
lowering, shifting up and down, breaking and allowing us occasional and
most welcome glimpses of the sun, or rather, sunshine. The effect was
striking and grand in the extreme. This rugged, wild gorge enveloped
in ever-shifting, varying vapours of different degrees of density--now
one peak visible, but to be obscured, and another to be ushered on the
scene--it appeared as if all above was commotion, silent commotion, the
clouds and mountain-summits playing at hide and seek.
We took a final warm at the fire: I threw off my overcoat, and,
shivering in my scanty shooting dress, started off over the tract of
snow campwards, the shikarries ever looking about for game.
We had advanced within a mile or two of the new site for the bivouac,
when Mooktoo, this time, who was in his usual place behind me,
exclaimed that animals were in sight. The spyglass was put in request,
and sure enough, said Subhan, there were some ten or twelve keyl (ibex)
disporting themselves on a distant mountain. It was long ere I caught
sight of them, looking at the wrong place. But at last I did see them
plainly: two were rearing up on their hind legs, fighting.
Well--we sat there hopelessly gazing, until the snow, on which we were
squatting, produced the natural effect, and, penetrating my frame,
set my teeth chattering: so on we went, but some way further we came
in sight of another flock of ibex, much nearer, though on the same
mountain. They were plainly visible to the naked eye, and with the
glass their horns and relative proportions were distinctly seen, and
commented upon.
This was an exciting sight. "Could nothing be done?" I asked anxiously.
"Nothing this evening," was the reply. So, on we trudged, I submitting
patiently to the fiat, and casting many a side glance upwards, causing
me many a trip and stumble in my rough path. As we came more under the
mountain on which the ibex were, a change of position on their part
effected a change in the minds of the shikarries who, calling a halt,
held a brief consultation together. Then, their eyes sparkling with
excitement, they uncovered the guns, and off we started.
I little thought, as I hastily followed the active Subhan, what work I
had cut out for me. The place the ibex were in did not appear high up,
nor did the ground appear very difficult from the distance; but when
I began to breast it, I found out my mistake, both as to incline and
altitude. I strove and struggled, scrambled and clawed my upward path,
until quite breathless and exhausted, and found I was but at the very
commencement of the ascent. Having gained breath, I went through the
same severe efforts, to find apparently the same prospects, but with
this terrible difference that, by my own exertions, I had now created a
precipice below me, fearful to look upon.
Subhan now suggested giving up the attempt: but a sort of infatuated
obstinacy seized me. As well as the heaving of my distressed lungs
permitted, I articulated, with an upward glance, 'Go on.' Indeed, I
felt at the time a sort of necessity to move upwards, in spite of all
difficulties, so appalling was the aspect of the descent now necessary;
so clinging to the surface, embracing, as it were, as much of the
mountain as I could clasp, and helping myself occasionally with my
spiked staff, I still struggled upwards, coming to bare smooth places
that I thought it impossible to climb over. At times, pausing at such
critical spots, I felt my head wavering, my courage waning, and my
nerves unstrung, my hold relaxing, my feet slipping, and then a sort of
frenzy seized me, and, summoning every energy I possessed, I recklessly
dashed on, on all fours, feeling that to hesitate for one moment, to
keep hand or foot a second on one spot, would inevitably plunge me into
the abyss below.
The shikarries, each carrying a gun in one hand, made their way with
extreme difficulty, and, I believe, not without trepidation. But they
possess a clutch, and a tenacity, and adhesion of toe, peculiar to this
variety of biped, which gives them firmness and confidence anywhere. It
was a very different thing for me.
At length, we gained the top of this spur of the mountain, which
actually offered no footing, the ridge being sharp, and the other side
not only precipitous, but hollowed out. Here lying, holding on tooth
and nail, we observed the ibex, which had taken the alarm, and were
rapidly moving away; and even had they remained, we could not have got
at them. So all our trouble, and the horrible ordeal of fear I had
undergone, were utterly thrown away.
"Had we not better remain up?" I asked Phuttoo, as the evening was
darkening apace. He shook his head, and said, it would never do: so
without more ado, I nerved myself for the trial, and got down by slow
degrees, wondering how I ever succeeded in getting up.
I felt thankful for my safe return, and rejoiced at the sight of
my tent, and a blazing fire before it, cheerfully lighting up the
surrounding gloom: changed my dress--and that reminds me, that I have
forgotten to note the presence in the herbage on these mountains of
a most disagreeable insect, a species of tick or bug: the vile thing
abounds, and seems to be ever on the look out for creatures passing
by, for we were quite tormented by them. I have picked off a dozen at
a time from my dress. They bite sharp, working their heads into your
flesh, and there hooking on with their forceps. I, with much trouble,
and no little smarting, detached three thus adhering to my person this
evening, and many candidates for the same honours were discovered
trespassing on my premises--a murrain on them!
I enjoyed my dinner amazingly, the fright I had been in having,
perhaps, stimulated my appetite. I realized the sensation, that to be
alive, with a good appetite, and a savoury stew for its gratification,
was vastly preferable to being a mangled mass of senseless humanity
at the foot of a precipice, with ever so many big horned ibex at
top. It was so late that I turned in very soon after dinner, and had
some apprehensions of a disagreeable night, perhaps visitations of
night-mare, repeating in my dreams the horrors of that terrible ascent,
and waking up with that horrid, indescribable feeling experienced
when one dreams one is precipitated from a great height, and whirling
downwards, awake to find it is all a dream.
However, I slept well, awaking occasionally, when I heard it raining
hard, and rejoiced, hoping it would continue, as I felt that a day's
rest would be beneficial, my feet having been considerably chafed by
all the scratching and clawing they had been put to.
18th May. I lay in bed later than usual, intentionally, not at once
obeying the call of the clamorous cock, or the blithely-singing birds,
who begin their concert in these parts ere day-light does appear. When,
however, day-light unmistakably forced its appearance under my tent,
I up and dressed in shooting trim, resolute to tackle the mountain,
however steep, and pursue the ibex anywhere and everywhere. Such was
the effect of a good night's rest: so, summoning the drowsy classee,
Buddoo, to throw open the closely folded entrance, I went outside, and
found there a most unpromising morning, the mountains frowning grimly
down, when occasionally visible through dense, chill-looking masses
of fog, snow all over the heights, damp, slop, and general discomfort
everywhere. Nature, however grand in features, looked uninviting and
repulsive.
I looked abroad, and shuddered at the prospect of breasting the hill
side. Phuttoo came shivering towards me, and, making his salaam, told
me we must not attempt the mountain in such weather. Quite satisfied
with asking him, if such was really his advice, and being answered
in the affirmative, I ordered Buddoo to close the tent, and pulled
the blankets over me, really congratulating myself on being prevented
fulfilling my desires and intentions.
19th May. The rain having fallen heavily during the night, the
atmosphere, at the early hour in which I rose and peeped out of my
tent, was laden with dense vapours which, heaving and swelling, moved
up and down the valley, now revealing, now concealing portions of
its bold features, and altogether creating a strikingly impressive
and interesting effect on the beautiful, though rugged, scenery.
The clouds of vapour, after an apparently internal struggle, would
transform themselves into transparent draperies of varied form and
strength of light--the rays of the rising sun struggling with the misty
impediments to the general diffusion of his genial beams, here and
there penetrating through them, then anon repulsed and excluded--when
the curtain, as it were, dropped over the scene, and chill gloom again
reigned around. The lower ranges of the mountains, which yesterday
were free from snow, were now shrouded in its white mantle, what was
rain below, falling as snow above; in consequence of which the ibex
haunts were pronounced quite impracticable for the present. So I
patiently awaited the favourable time, and rested quite satisfied in
gazing on and admiring the ever-changing, and always beautiful, natural
effects developing themselves around me, until breakfast; after which
the shikarries came, and shouldering the guns, the hour being now
propitious, we directed our steps for the mountain on which we had
lately discovered the ibex.
This time we ascended by the opposite side to the very summit of the
mountain, our path lying nearly the whole distance over a snow-drift
filling a ravine, down which, under the snow, rushed a roaring torrent,
appearing at intervals of the ascent, where from sudden vertical
descents it dashed down in foaming cascades, flashing, sparkling,
glittering in open day for a moment, again to go muttering and rumbling
under the super-incumbent masses of snow, again to gain partial
freedom, until undergoing various similar alternations it emerged into
the main torrent that, pursuing its troubled course down this small
valley, adds its tributary waters to the Wurdwan river.
Many fissures were crossed, disclosing the dark waters seething and
hurtling below; and the whole struggle to the heights above, although
perhaps not so arduous or dangerous as that of the previous day, was
yet full of peril, and called for a stout heart and firm nerves to
achieve. The most difficult and critical times were when, the course
of the torrent making a rapid and regular turn and deep fall, it was
necessary to leave the snow, ascend the bank, and make one's way along
the smooth, wet, precipitous escarpment overhanging the fearful depths
below, on which it would not do to look or think. A lesser evil was
the terrible, blinding glare, reflected by the intensely white snow
through which we ploughed. This, after a time, compelled me to close my
eyes, and go floundering on, the best way I could, with an occasional
squint to ascertain whether I was following my leader. At length we
accomplished the ascent, and glad I was to sit down, and recruit my
somewhat exhausted energies.
The shikarries, reconnoitring, discovered ibex far down, below us,
among the rifts and gorges into which the mountain, near its base, is
severed. They were near the spot where they were first descried. After
the usual consultation, the 'bunderbus' was determined, and a descent
towards the game commenced. We had to cross patches of snow at a
fearful degree of incline, and let ourselves down lying on our sides or
backs, scotching ourselves with heels or staves as best we might, until
we gained a shelf midway down, whence observations were again made,
and plans concocted. A halt was here made, as the animals were not in
sight, being, it was supposed, now taking their 'siesta' in some secure
retirement. A watch was kept; and at length a shikarry, holding up one
finger, indicated one animal having made his appearance, then two, then
three, until they numbered five--the very five fine-horned fellows
seen the other day, and so much coveted.
Again the stalk was resumed with all guile and subtlety: but, in spite
of every precaution, in such extremely difficult and dangerous ground
some sounds would arise--a stone loosened, rolling down &c.--though we
were well out of sight, nor on the same slope. We at last reached the
crest of a slope, on the other side of which were the ibex within easy
range, as was supposed. Cautiously, rifles ready, we slowly raised our
heads to sight the intended victims--higher and higher, this side and
that--but only a blank.
Deep sighs of disappointment were audible. Every height was
scrutinized, every hollow peered into, before the sad reality was fully
admitted, that our prey had escaped, and without leaving a clue to
their mode of exit. We sat disconsolate, and while wistfully gazing
about saw a string of nine ibex calmly pursuing their way, taking a
bite here and there on a mountain side opposite. Soon after, four
or five cross a ravine on the snow far up above us; which I believe
to have been the identical animals we were in search of, who had
completely outwitted us, and gained an inaccessible refuge without our
detecting them stealing away--so closely had we kept our concealment.
It was not the most satisfactory prospect having to return and descend,
every step risking life or limb. We had to reclimb the summit, and
again descend, the path full of peril as before. When halfway, two
young ibex were disturbed, and I ineffectually fired every barrel I
had, as they bounded away. The suddenness of their appearance, and the
nature of the ground giving me no footing, made my chances 'nil.'
I got back weary, and had unfortunately reproduced an old injury by my
slips and strenuous efforts to keep my footing, a large lump from some
overtaxed muscle having formed immediately behind my right knee, giving
no acute pain, but a sense of diminished strength, and a sensation that
it would become worse.
20th May. Sunday. After breakfast, a lad, one of the valley, who
accompanied us yesterday, found his way to me when unobserved by the
shikarries, and criticised their method of approaching game, of which
he disapproved. Having observed him to be active and intelligent, and
knowing that he had been hunting with officers, I talked with him, and
finally arranged for another attempt on the ibex, he leading and to
have the entire control and management of the arrangements. He was much
gratified. Anticipating jealousy, and, perhaps, obstruction on the part
of my shikarries, I assembled them, and put the matter in such a light
that they entered into the plan with perfect good humour.
21st May. Away under the auspices of the ambitious young Kamal to the
same mountain, to ascend by the same route. Ere reaching the base,
we observed three ibex on a snowy crest, I believe keeping watch and
ward. We had not ascended far, when Kamal, all ardour and vigilance,
leading the way, stopped suddenly, and announced ibex in sight, and
near at hand. We prepared to attack. Leaving one of our number at this
place, we set to work to climb, the ordinary difficulties being greatly
augmented by a quantity of hail lying on the surface, and by a frost
having made the grass, which had been wet with rain or melted snow,
terribly slippery.
As I toiled and struggled in agonies of partial suffocation from
my exertions up the steep, a bear was reported in sight. I did not
take notice of the ignoble beast, being then in hot chase of the
much-coveted ibex, but was suddenly startled by a fierce growl, and saw
Bruin rushing by, within a few yards. But I would not have fired in
the attitude I was in, had the rifle been in my hand. We shortly got
sight of an ibex on the look-out, on a prominent point affording a good
view around. We lay still some time: the ibex fed, then quietly walked
out of sight; when believing it was all as we could wish, we made what
speed we could up the mountain to the look-out place of the sentinel.
We could thence see nothing: so ascended higher, on to a place where
the game must be, had they not taken alarm and fled. Every probable
place was examined--but no occupants. At last we saw nine ibex on the
summit of an adjoining eminence, far out of reach, and they leisurely
making their retreat still further. Whether the beast of a bear had
given the alarm, we could not tell.
We descended, and took our former route. A small goat-like deer, called
a 'kustoora,' was seen. We stalked up to within eighty yards, the
animal up above and looking down. I changed my rifle for one carried
by Mooktoo, the right barrel of which he had loaded this morning,
so I thought it was sure to go off: the other had been loaded since
Saturday. I aimed steadily--the cap only exploded--the animal bounded
off, stopped, and gazed: I pulled the other trigger, when the powder
went off hissing, fizzing, and smoking like a squib, and the bullet
dropped about a yard from the muzzle. I suppose some snow had got into
it. This was a dreadful disappointment.
After breakfast we proceeded up among the snowy summits: we saw
nothing, lay down, and went to sleep. Then on again to another point,
and again stopped for observations: then we began to descend, pausing
here and there, but not a vestige of an ibex to be seen: all had
vanished, I scanned every possible spot with the glass, but saw none,
so gave up all hopes of ibex, and later in the day descended to look
for bears on the lower slopes.
Kamal, away on the left, made signs of game, an old and a young bear
down in a deep hollow. I got into position, and fired down, wounding
the old bear: fired all my remaining barrels as she made off: then
loaded, and off in pursuit--rugged ground, and two deep awkward
ravines to cross. At last we sighted the chase, slowly crawling
ahead, but a difficult ravine between us. We crossed it, and up the
hill to intercept Bruin, but paused on the brink of a precipitous and
impassable ravine. Subhan's keen eyes detected the bear pausing on a
ledge, partially concealed by a bush. She half-turned to look back on
her pursuers, when a ball struck her, and she toppled over, rolling
down the hill-side. We had to make a considerable detour to get to
her:--looked for others in vain, so returned to camp.
It is supposed by the shikarries that a pack of wild dogs, whose tracks
we found in the snow following on those of ibex, had driven those
animals away.
22nd May. A long march up the Wurdwan. We passed Busman on the
left-bank, crossed the river by a bridge at Goombrah--at which village
my sporting rival of the 79th had bivouacked--and moved along the
bank to a small village. We saw three bears feeding on a hill-side
across the river. It was decided to stop here, and try to get these
bears: so we halted. But Phuttoo failing to persuade the villagers to
rebuild a bridge which had been washed away, and being unable to cross
the river at any place nearer, we continued our route to our previous
destination, Shugkenuz.
The road lay along the bank of the river which had fallen in, so that
we experienced much difficulty in getting on, the steep inaccessible
hill precluding all chance of a route higher up: so, hanging on how we
might, we scrambled across the face of the landslip, the rapid river
rushing roaring below, and luckily without mishap reached and crossed a
bridge, and on to the village, which is prettily situated--the bivouac
charming.
A mountain path from Palgham enters the Wurdwan here, but is
impracticable now for all but mountaineers. We rested some hours; then
went off to beat up the quarters of the three bears we had seen from
the opposite side when on the march. We sighted our three acquaintances
high up on a rock; prepared to meet them on the slope we supposed they
would descend to; had a difficult, fatiguing climb. At last we gained
a ridge from which the game was visible, all three feeding, distance
about one hundred yards. I wished to wait for a chance of their coming
nearer; but Subhan urged me to fire at once, and the largest bear,
mother of the other two, I suppose, then looking up, I fired and hit
her somewhere in front. Great confusion and discomfiture ensued. I
fired and hit another, and discharged my other barrels as they slowly
retreated; but, not being able to pursue from the difficulty of the
ground, saw my wounded prey gradually disappear up the hill, just able
to crawl away.
I returned to camp, weary and lame. Regretting much wounding
poor brutes thus, to escape only to die in agonies, I made some
half-resolutions to give up shooting.
Leg very bad, but not worse, I went to bed lamenting my ill success.