74 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



disregard of the wind ; I did not know where he was 

 going in time to stop him. In the evening I only 

 heard one stag call and he only did it once. 



The nights here were pretty cold, the thermometer 

 going down to 14 Fahr., and we began to think 

 that we were in for a very early winter ; but this 

 was not so, as though the weather continued to be 

 unsettled, there were intervals when it was fine 

 and warm. 



The first afternoon Phelps had seen a good stag 

 with the telescope, but too far away to get to, and 

 had heard several others ; but as to-day he had 

 heard nothing worth mentioning, we held a council 

 of war in the evening. Be it remembered that we 

 did not know how much longer the rut would last, 

 and that the shikaris were even more ignorant on 

 this than on most subjects ; however, they said there 

 was another good place west of the Mintaka Valley, 

 i.e. in the Akjas direction, between which and 

 where we were the deer frequently went to, choos- 

 ing whichever of the two places they were least 

 disturbed in. We decided to move, though as there 

 was no direct way it entailed a long round, and next 

 morning we went down to the plain, camping by 

 the Mintaka River just where it leaves the hills ; 

 here there were a few aiils inhabited by Kazaks. 

 Another day saw us up in the hills again in the new 

 place ; both these marches were short, but just too 

 long for the two to be done in one day. 



