WAPITI AND IBEX 121 



Both days I tried to stalk ibex, but without suc- 

 cess. It is either their custom at this season of the 

 year to be always on the move, or else the broken 

 weather had unsettled them ; for they never stopped 

 long enough in one place to give one any chance of 

 getting up to them, and it is poor fun climbing up a 

 hill for hours only to find that your game has 

 moved on. 



If the descent to the big river had seemed pretty 

 steep, the ascent from it was well calculated to 

 strengthen the impression, as a whole day's toil 

 still left us some distance from the top of the pass. 

 This we crossed on the i6th, going on down to the 

 bottom of the side valley, and camping just before 

 the bad bit of road was reached. The whole place 

 was white with snow, and camp comfortless enough. 

 On the pass we met some of Durji's sheep in charge 

 of his son on their way to winter quarters up the 

 valley. 



The good old chief Kalmak had again sent men 

 to help us over the bad places, and himself met us 

 just the other side, coming on down with us to the 

 entrance of the Koksu Valley, and offering to have 

 an aiil pitched for me. 



Here I heard from the other two of their change 

 of plans, and decided to follow them along the foot- 

 hills, looking for roe deer on the way. 



The weather being cold, and my small tent but a 

 cramped dwelling-place, I arranged with the chief 



