SPORT IN THE TEKKES : WAPITI 73 



had had his gun he would have shot it, that he used 

 a silver foresight on purpose for night shooting, etc. 

 In answer to these statements, being at liberty to 

 believe as little of them as I chose, I said very 

 little and believed not at all. It was a long and 

 severe pull uphill to where we had left the ponies, 

 and when about half-way the Kirghiz suggested 

 that I should go and fetch his pony for him while 

 he rested. My vocabulary was unequal to the 

 occasion, and I was strongly tempted to make up 

 for its deficiency with a stick ; finally when we did 

 get there he said he was beat, and announced his 

 intention of sleeping where he was. As camp was 

 only forty minutes' ride away I did not see the force 

 of this, so got on my horse and left him there, 

 whereupon he presently followed. When camp was 

 reached I was careful to have it explained to him 

 that if anyone was going to go and fetch ponies 

 he would have to go and fetch mine. This man 

 had a most exaggerated idea of his own import- 

 ance, and we presently christened him the Duke 

 of Kukturuk. As time went on he became more 

 humble, but none the less I soon became sick of 

 His Grace, and he never gave me cause to re- 

 consider my first impressions of his ability as a 

 shikari. 



Next morning I heard a stag or two, but they 

 were not enough on the call to do anything, and the 

 shikari spoilt what chance there was by his utter 



