170 TRAVELLERS' TALES 



haggling goes on. We also bought some of the 

 copper pots, which are very ornamental, and 

 George invested in a Thibetan gun and some 

 very fine cart bells. 



Unfortunately we had to leave most of those 

 things behind us when the revolution broke out, 

 as we had to travel as light as possible. Whether 

 we ever see them again is somewhat proble- 

 matical. 



We went to one fur shop. Outside the door 

 several dogs were lurking, when the proprietor 

 suddenly dashed out, seized one by the scrufF of 

 its neck and hurled it into an outhouse, remark- 

 ing, " I can't afford to have your excellencies 

 bitten ! You are worth money ! " which was 

 rather comforting under the circumstances. 



I bought a horn, which the shopkeeper told me 

 was that of a nialoo, as they call the wapiti. In 

 this he was quite wrong, for, unless I am mistaken, 

 it is that of a sika. We on several occasions heard 

 of a deer which is called by the natives yung-Ioo, 

 or sheep-deer. They were described as larger than 

 a roe and smaller than a wapiti, spotted in summer, 

 reddish on the sides, and dark on the back. They 

 become much darker in the winter, and carry four 

 points on each horn. Another horn with four 

 typical points which I saw had a small piece of 

 skull with the skin attached. As soon as the 

 owner found I was after it he asked me an absurd 

 price. He admitted it was that of a '' yung-loo 

 from the far west," so there is a chance for some 

 future hunter, as they have never been obtained 

 by a foreigner in Kansu. We heard of them as 

 being found seventy li from Minchow, but an old 



