Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 230, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1913 — IN THE HIMALAYAS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IN THE HIMALAYAS

THE hot weather was commencing on the plains. Each evenI ing the gymkhana was becoming more silent and dreary. Three weeks previously we had been having cold, clear evenings, but a week since there had bqen a bite in the air as one dressed for parade in the half light of dawn; now the wind changed from noj’th to south, dust storms followed, the atmosphere thickened, the glare seemed more intense, and the hot weather lethargy, which would last for eight months, settled down on the cantonment. It was time to think of leave. was the Valhalla of our objective. We had written to the rajah, Sir Bhurin ' Singh, for shikaris, and the last few days we had almost forgotten the miseries of the plains in the excitement of the bazars, buying the necessary stores, bargaining with and being “done*’ by osequious Hindus and Mahometans. ( Famous Golden Temple. At Amritsar we broke the journey for a few hours to see'the famous Golden Temple. At Pathankot we left the railway and drove in a tonga to Dunera, a distance of twenty-eight miles. Relays of ponies were in waiting every five or six miles, fresh and in fair condition after their winter’s rest. From Dunera we decided to walk to Dalhousie, taking a coolie to show us a short cut, by which the distance was only twelve miles. A few days later the welcome news arrived that the Sach pass, leading over the snow range, was open. Accordingly we hastened towards it. At its foot we had to rearrange our kit, half of which had to be left behind, since the coolies could only carry half loads over the snow. We had camped just under the snow line, upon the last patch of earth-visible, under gigantic pine trees. There we found it so cold that we were glad to share one tent for warmth’s sake. Alum could not hear of attempting the pass if there should be any signs of storm, and entertained us by detailing the numerous times he had found corpses on its summit. As it turned out, there was no need for anxiety. We were called at three a. m.,, and soon after made a start, our coolies behind us in Indian file, and men in advance with ice-axes to cut steps in the difficult places.

The descent was for the most part slow, the snow being soft and up to our knees in places, but we found a good steep slope on which it was still hard, and we were able to toboggan to the valley below. News having reached the camp that a goodly number of ibex had appeared in some ranges situated about three days’ march to the northward, one of our party, Lieutenant Edwards by name, decided to try his luck after them. Accordingly we separated. Ape Pay* Visit. At the home camp the next fortnight passed slowly and without success, though we went out every day to look for thar and ibex. The usual program was monotonous. After breakfast, about eight o’clock, we started off with two shikaris and a tiffin coolie for the ground where a bear or a herd of thar had last been seen. This was usually some thousand feet above camp, which itself was eleven thousand feet up, and the rarefied air made climbing very laborious. To smotyb while walking, even along the level, was quite impossible. Having reached a spot well marked with recent tracks, we selected good positions for observations, and remained in them quite silent for the remainder of the day, since, though there was little chance of the quarry appearing before evening, it was probably close by sheltering frbm the heat of the sun. One had ample time during this long vigil to observe the smaller creatures of the jungle at close quarters if one lay still enough. Perhaps a little brown marten would steal across an open patch, or a monal pheasant, calling shrilly, would strut past in all its glory. One day a musk deer came and grazed within thirty yards; these pretty little animals are not allowed to be shot in Chamba. The handsome gray langora ape was a frequent visitor, and the brown monkeys were a positive nuisance; they sat in the trees close over one's head and kept

a covetous eye on the lunch and camera. . Meanwhile, Edwards had an exciting time with a red bear. While returning homewards after a blank day, he spied two red bears on a hill above him. His shikari tried to dissuade him from going—up - After them, as it was nearly dark;; but he was much too keen to accept counsel and commenced climbing the hill. They were soon at the spot where the bears had been feeding, but found that the latter had disappeared, evidently into a large forest of deodars. Taking his .303 from the shlrkari, Edwards walked slowly into this jungle, the shikari following him with a 12bore loaded with ball. They had proceeded thus about twenty yards when, from behind a fallen tree within three paces of them, a huge brown head appeared and then vanished. Seeing the bear lumbering uphill, he shot and stopped it. With a snarl it faced about and charged straight down on the hunter; Instinctively he jumped to one side, firing another shot at close range as the beast crashed past, without aiming or even raising his rifle. The bullet missed its billet, but the shot at such close range had the effect of frightening the bear, which continued its rush downhill. As he was raising his rifle for a third shot, Alum touched his arm; .he looked around and saw the other bear peer over the log for an instant and then disappear behind it. A second’s hesitation and he had fired at the wounded beast, knocking it head over heels down the slope. Swinging round, he wdtehed the log, but the second bear had disapepared. It would have been useless to attempt to follow it in such a large jungle, even had the light been better. As it was, they had only just time to regain the nullah bed before dark.

A LOG ROAD