i 3 4 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



lower ground. We therefore turned back in order 

 to make a detour round a boulder to our left, and, 

 keeping under cover, followed up a ridge, which joined 

 eventually with the right slopes of the valley. This 

 strategical operation took about an hour and a half 

 to perform, there being deep stony gullies on the way, 

 which presented a series of obstacles to our wretched 

 horses. Finally we got on grass again, and having 

 dismounted, managed to reach some rocks, from which 

 we could plainly see the herd, about 500 yards off, 

 lying on the river-bed. I never imagined that the 

 spot where we now found ourselves was to be our 

 observatory for the next eight hours. Taba as usual 

 kept repeating that the sheep were sure to move 

 in our direction as soon as they commenced feeding, 

 the grazing on our side being better. No further 

 advance was possible, so we settled down at 8 a.m., 

 watching our quarry with the telescope, which I had 

 firmly fixed between two ledges of rock for my wife 

 to have a good view of the sheep. She was highly 

 interested in their proceedings, and said that there 

 were three first-class old rams amongst them, ten 

 average-sized heads and three young ones, which 

 statement I readily confirmed. It was quite probable 

 that this was the herd out of which I had secured 

 three on the 22nd, and which we now found almost 



