ii4 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



my cramped-up limbs again and get my feet warm, 

 for up till now they were almost devoid of sensa- 

 tion. 



Long, steep, and up and down was the detour 

 which we had to cover, and not till nearly three 

 o'clock did we get near the end ; but at last only 

 one ridge separated us from the stag's resting-place. 

 With the glass, I could see the watching Kalmak 

 lying by his rock ; he made no sign, so we knew 

 that the stag was still there, and waited some time 

 in the hope he would get up to feed before it got 

 dusk. It grew late, and the wind, never very 

 steady, began to get more shifty, but still the stag 

 did not move ; so finally we decided that I should 

 creep up to the last ridge, while Durji went round 

 above and tried to shift him out towards me. This 

 all worked out beautifully. After a due interval, I 

 heard Durji shout to warn me a most unnecessary 

 proceeding, as I was all eyes and ears and the stag 

 appeared about 400 yards off, heading through 

 the bushes towards me. At first he was travelling 

 fast, but soon settled down to a walk, seeming 

 rather inclined to go further up the hill, which would 

 not have mattered much, as in that case I must have 

 got a shot, though possibly rather a long one. My 

 great fear was that he would turn down, and so be 

 lost to view, as the ground that way was a hollow, 

 into which I could not see. When a bit over 100 

 yards off he stood still, undecided which way to turn, 



