The villagers here, we found, were in the habit of making regular
expeditions among their crops at night, to keep off the bears who
prowl about in search of food. Armed with torches, they keep up
a tremendous shouting all through the dark hours, during the time
their grain is ripening; and thinking to get a daylight view of the
robbers, I started up the mountain with a native guide and a rifle. My
"sportsman," however, in spite of many promises, failed in showing
me anything more savage than a preserve of wild raspberry-trees,
on which I regaled with much satisfaction.
A curious custom in the valley is that of hanging quantities of hay
up among the branches of trees, and its object puzzled me immensely,
till my guide informed me that in the winter the snow lies five and six
yards in depth, and that the supplies of hay, which now look only meant
for camel-leopards, are then easily reached by the flocks of sheep
which abound in the valley. At present these were all collected among
the mountains, to be out of the way of the harvest, and this accounts
for the enormous herd we had seen while descending from the pass.
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