88 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



Next day we got down into the main Akjas Valley, 

 not following the side ravine down all the way, but 

 turning across the corner over a spur. I was a 

 bit behind the others, and was sitting on the hillside 

 perhaps i ,000 feet or so up, waiting for the baggage- 

 ponies, when I spotted some ibex on a grassy slope 

 far above me ; there were twelve or fifteen of them, 

 only two being bucks, but one of these I made out 

 with the telescope to be a really big fellow and decided 

 to have a try for him. First, however, I waited for 

 the caravan to come along, as I thought the sight of 

 it might drive them away altogether ; but they were 

 a long way off, and when the ponies passed only 

 went a bit further up the hill. For the time being 

 they were in an unstalkable place, so more waiting 

 was the order of the day, while the weather was not 

 all that could be desired, as a little snow began 

 to fall and the wind became more and more squally 

 and shifty. When the ibex at last made a move 

 they went further up the hill, but finally crossed a 

 ridge and disappeared, leaving the coast clear for an 

 advance. 



The wind was by now very bad, but the valley into 

 which the ibex had gone was apparently deep, and 

 there was just a chance that if they were in a hollow 

 they might not get it, provided that I kept near the 

 ridge on my way up. It was a long climb, but 

 though the slopes were steep the going was good, 

 as it was all grass ; and after about an hour's stiff 



