Big Game of Mongolia and Tibet 



who passed most of their time while we were 

 on the march vainly chasing hares, marmots 

 and any other animals they could see — made a 

 dash for the yak and commenced snapping at 

 him. He trotted slowly off, but soon, becom- 

 ing angry, turned on the dogs, who came back 

 to the caravan. He followed them until within 

 twenty yards of us. All my recollections of the 

 dangers encountered by Prjevalsky with yaks, 

 all his remarks of the extraordinary thickness 

 and impenetrability of their skulls, of the diffi- 

 culty of killing these monstrous animals, and 

 of their ferociousness when wounded, came 

 vividly to my mind in an instant. I saw my 

 mules and horses gored and bleeding on the 

 ground, my expedition brought to an untimely 

 end, and a wounded yak waving his tail trium- 

 phantly over us, for I was certain that with my 

 light Winchester I could never drop him dead 

 in his tracks. We did not even dare so much 

 as look at him, but kept on our way, and the 

 yak walked beside us, evidently rejoicing in his 

 victory. The dogs, now thoroughly cowed, 

 took refuge on the side of the caravan furthest 

 from the infuriated animal, and so we marched 

 on for about half a mile, when, in utter dis- 

 gust, he turned and trotted off to the hillside, 



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