ALMOST FROZEN. 331 



therefore be imagined what bitter cold work it was starting 

 forth in the dawn to look after the animals we had seen on 

 the neighbouring hills the evening before. About eight 

 o'clock Puddoo spied out with the glass a flock of five Oves, 

 but none of them were big rams. Whilst he was watching 

 them through the telescope, I chanced to notice a large 

 group of animals, which I took to be kiangs, suddenly ap- 

 pear away up on the sky-line of a rounded eminence nearly 

 a mile off. Drawing Puddoo's attention to them, he turned 

 the glass in their direction and instantly pronounced them 

 to be " nian " (Oves Ammon). There were eleven in sight, 

 and all of them were rams carrying fine horns. Presently 

 they lay down on the very brow of the hill, where we could 

 distinctly see their splendid heads in relief against the sky. 

 As they completely overlooked our position, and were quite 

 unapproachable from any other quarter, even could we have 

 dared to move, there was nothing for it but to wait 

 patiently there until they again rose and shifted their 

 ground. The wind had now sprung up, which, combined 

 with the keen frost, made the cold during the hour or more 

 we had to lie there like stones, about as cruel as I have 

 ever felt. My hands and feet got so benumbed that I 

 began to think, if we remained there inactive much longer, 

 they would be frozen. At last the animals rose, and after 

 pottering restlessly about for some time, retired quickly 

 beyond the brow towards the same direction they had come 

 from. 



On this occasion I fully appreciated the advantage of 

 having a man with me who knew every feature of the 

 ground as well as the habits of its wild denizens. Puddoo 

 at once concludes that the animals will be likely to make 

 for a wide ravine, where there is more or less grazing for 

 them, some distance beyond and to the left of the brow 

 they so hastily quitted, and that by our quickly making a 

 circuit below, we may possibly be able to reach the foot of 

 it in time to intercept them. Off we start as fast as we 



