Ibex Shooting in the Thian Shan Mountains 



it, but missed it, when the bird darted in between 

 my horse's feet, as I sat watching the chase. I 

 let the bird remain safely where it was in the 

 grass at the horse's feet, and we went on, having 

 seven other flights, but in each case the little birds 

 escaped either among rocks or into bushes. On 

 many other occasions when we saw hawks they 

 came to the call of our natives. 



At last I arranged for the necessary horses, two- 

 yuartas and a flock of thirty sheep for food, and 

 the next day we were again underway up a narrow 

 valley, whose sides were covered with pine. Up 

 and up we went, until noon, when a halt was made 

 at the last wood, where enough was gathered for 

 the night; then on again over a pass, where the 

 ponies floundered through snow to their bellies 

 until, just as the sun was setting, we dropped into 

 a little valley, making camp at the foot of the 

 glacier in a meadow literally purple with pansies. 



After the day's march, the ponies are not let 

 graze at once, but are tied up for two or three 

 hours. I asked the cause of this, and was told 

 that if a tired pony was turned loose he would 

 take the edge off his hunger and then lie down for 

 the night, while if he rested first, he would eat a 

 good meal. The only time a pony was turned 

 loose at once he did just as they said. 



327 



