196 THE WAPITI OF KANSU 



that night, and Avhen morning came we found the 

 dogs had irretrievably ruined it, though fortunately 

 the head skin was undamaged. It was most 

 annoying, but, relying on the old hunter's assur- 

 ance, we thought the smell would have kept them 

 off. 



Later on, after George had killed his wapiti, he, 

 Purdom, who came and stayed with us in camp for 

 a few days, and the doctor returned to Archuen to 

 have another try for a big ram. Whilst they were 

 away Yung-sha, with the old hunter whom they 

 had left behind, went off, without saying anything 

 to me, and killed a female bear and a cub in the 

 next valley. These skins arrived home safely and 

 are similar to one from Thibet or Szechuan which 

 was noticed by Mr. Lydekker in the Proceedings 

 of the Zoological Society for 1897. "It was then 

 suggested that this bear might be a local race of 

 the little blue bear ( Ursus ijruinosus) of Thibet, but 

 it is now evident that it is a much larger and 

 apparently distinct animal." Three days after the 

 death of the bear we heard on October 23rd 

 the first news of the revolution and the secession 

 of Wu-chang, a fortnight after it had taken place. 

 The Viceroy of Lanchow withdrew the leave which 

 he had granted to Purdom and four gentlemen who 

 called themselves, or perhaps I should say objected 

 to being called, " Pentecostals," to cross the border 

 into Thibet, and for many weeks we and other 

 foreigners in the interior were to be the prey of 

 alarming rumours and conflicting reports. Four 

 days later we heard that Hankow had fallen, the 

 native city being burned to the ground. We 

 indulged in several serow dri\'es without any 



