SPORT IN THE TEKKES : WAPITI 81 



twelve or fifteen hinds with him. We were now a 

 long way from camp, and on the way back the 

 Kirghiz lost himself. I was pretty sure he was 

 going wrong, but he wouldn't have it, and so let us 

 in for a long round with a steep hill in it. By the 

 time that his mistake became obvious, even to him, 

 one way was as short as the other ; but by then we 

 had walked at least six unnecessary miles. In the 

 bottom of the valley there were a lot of wild-currant 

 bushes, and the bears had been busy with them, 

 but, of course, did not show themselves. 



The ground here now seemed exhausted, as in all 

 the country travelled over during the afternoon we 

 had only heard the one stag, and he was gone. 

 The shikari professed complete ignorance of the 

 ground further west, saying that it belonged to the 

 Akjas people, and that he had never been there. 

 Under the circumstances, a return to the first place 

 seemed the best chance, so we went down to Min- 

 taka, Phelps joining en route, and noon the day 

 after saw us again camped where we had first heard 

 stags. 



In the evening I saw two stags and three hinds 

 out in the open. One of the stags was a good one, 

 but, alas ! they were the wrong side of the Mintaka 

 Valley, and there was no chance of getting there 

 before dark. We were always away before dawn ; 

 but next morning I started even earlier than usual, 

 and crossed the gorge to where I had seen the stag 

 G 



