ii6 CHINESE TURKESTAN 



luck, though feeling somewhat ashamed of such an 

 inartistic performance. Not, however, till later did I 

 realise what a prize I had got twelve points and 

 a little snag, which may almost be reckoned * a 

 thirteenth, massive and wide, with a great develop- 

 ment of the fourth tine, and a slight palmation of 

 the tops. This head is, taken all round, the finest 

 specimen of an Asiatic wapiti which I have seen, 

 and as the horns are an article of trade, I after- 

 wards saw lots of them in Kuldja. 



Durji and the other Kalmak soon arrived, and 

 we congratulated one another, Durji at first trying 

 to conceal his delight under a "There, I told you so" 

 sort of air, which he could not keep up ; while the 

 other Kalmak, a cheerful soul and a great friend of 

 mine, kept pointing out the ridge to him, and 

 wondering at the distance. 



It was nearly dark by the time we had got off the 

 head and skin, but little cared I now for rough paths 

 or cold. The Kalmak whom we had left behind 

 managed to get the ponies up within half a mile 

 of us, so presently we started for camp, arriving 

 there late and tired, and wet-footed from the deep 

 fords on the way down the stream, but withal a 

 very cheerful party. 



Having got what I wanted, I would now have 

 been quite willing to leave Koksu, and go to 

 Jilgalong for roe deer; but the energetic Durji, 

 who, of course, did not mind the cold at all, was 



