96 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



We passed many more horns lying on the ground, 

 some of which taped over fifty inches along the 

 curve and over eighteen in girth, and great were our 

 expectations for the morrow. At a place where the 

 path turned to the right we were obliged to cross the 

 stream over a large snow-bridge, which was now 

 melting fast. We could see the swollen river rushing 

 furiously underneath and gradually wearing away the 

 whole fabric. It was a dangerous crossing. Luckily, 

 the snow was just strong enough to carry the weight 

 of the ponies, and we all got over safely. The next 

 day a Kalmuk, who had been sent back for fuel, 

 found the bridge gone, and no more signs of snow. 

 A little beyond this spot the river made a sharp turn 

 westwards, and we now followed up its left bank for 

 a few miles till we reached a suitable camping place, 

 which, our hunters said, was to be the centre of our 

 shooting operations, and pitched our tents at a few 

 hundred yards from the stream, after a twenty-five 

 mile march. From here the country presented a 

 totally different aspect to what we had seen before. 

 We were camped on a small grassy tableland, sur- 

 rounded on all sides by hills. The valley of the 

 Tchagan-Burgaza here made a bend southwards ami 

 continued for a few miles to the sources of the stream, 

 enclosed between two craggy ridges, on which a good 



