They looked like kobolds from some magic mine -- gnomes of the hills in conclave . And while they talked , the voices of the snow-waters round them diminished one by one as the night-frost choked and clogged the runnels . ` How he stood up against us ! ' said a Spiti man admiring . ' I remember an old ibex , out Ladakh-way , that Dupont Sahib missed on a shoulder-shot , seven seasons back , standing up just like him . Dupont Sahib was a good shikarri . ' ` Not as good as Yankling Sahib . ' The Ao-chung man took a pull at the whisky-bottle and passed it over . ` Now hear me -- unless any other man thinks he knows more . ' The challenge was not taken up . ` We go to Shamlegh when the moon rises . There we will fairly divide the baggage between us . I am content with this new little rifle and all its cartridges . ' ` Are the bears only bad on thy holding ? said a mate , sucking at the pipe . ` No ; but musk-pods are worth six rupees apiece now , and thy women can have the canvas of the tents and some of the cooking-gear . We will do all that at Shamlegh before dawn . Then we all go our ways , remembering that we have never seen or taken service with these Sahibs , who may , indeed , say that we have stolen their baggage . ' ` That is well for thee , but what will our Rajah say ? ' ` Who is to tell him ?
Those XXXXX , who can not speak our talk , or the Babu , who for his own ends gave us money ?
Ao-chung Rajah Sahibs Shamlegh Spiti choked musk-pods runnels shoulder-shot snow-waters