198 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



Having hastily reloaded, we gave chase; but 

 this was scarcely required, for no sooner were 

 we perceived, than two of the three wheeled 

 suddenly round, and with heads down, and tails 

 on end, made a most vicious charge towards us, 

 evidently meaning mischief. Again our rifles 

 cracked, and two more huge bodies were floun- 

 dering in the snow, which was discoloured with 

 their gore. The fifth bull, who was slowly 

 following the other two, being more severely 

 wounded, now came up, and was easily despatched. 

 Thus died five stately bulls of undaunted pluck, 

 and great was the joy of our Tartar followers at 

 the prospect of such an immense supply of food. 

 We carefully skinned the two finest specimens, 

 and preserved the horns and tails of the others as 

 trophies, but the hides were a great deal too heavy 

 for our people to carry, so we were obliged to 

 leave them on the ground, and send the yaks for 

 them. The next morning we saw a solitary bull 

 of immense dimensions, but he proved a very wary 

 beast, and, notwithstanding all our precautions, 

 the taint in the air betrayed our whereabouts, and 



