438 ALMOST FROZEN. 



knee-deep the evening before, was until mid-day quite dry. 

 Nothing was for the time left of it but a hollow crust of ice, 

 below which the water had ceased to flow. Having to depend 

 on this stream for water, we had, whilst here, to collect a 

 sufficient supply overnight to last until it began to flow again 

 next day at noon. It can 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 Oms, 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 appear 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 



