THE HAPPY VALLEY 107 



ourselves at the entrance of a beautiful valley, en- 

 closed between steep grassy slopes and rocky pinnacles 

 above, bearing every quality of sheep ground. Out 

 of it flowed the Bain-Tchagan River. At the very 

 entrance of this valley stood several lower buttress- 

 like hillocks, which seemed to afford capital stalking 

 ground. At the head of it, a few miles off, I could 

 just discern a fairly high pass, which, as my hunters 

 told me, was on the very frontier of Mongolia. This 

 was the " Happy Valley " I have before mentioned. 

 Later on neither Littledale nor myself hardly ever 

 returned from the place empty - handed. Seeing 

 no more signs of sheep, I decided to return to 

 camp, though it was only about midday, but quite 

 satisfied with my first day's work. We followed 

 down the stream to the spot where we had left the 

 horses, and covering the same ground as in the 

 morning, reached the tents towards 2 p.m. Here 

 the ladies welcomed us heartily, as they caught 

 sight of my trophies. Littledale soon came in with 

 Taba and his other hunter from the opposite direction, 

 and what was our amazement when we saw five heads 

 hung to their saddles ! We had evidently struck a 

 golden vein. Two of his trophies measured well. 

 He had come across a large herd of rams who had 

 failed to locate the first shot, and had thus afforded 



