i 3 8 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



had frightened them in this manner, when, on looking 

 down the valley, there was one of our Kalmuks 

 with two ponies ascending the hill in full view ! 

 If he had been nearer at that moment I really think 

 I should have wilfully mistaken him for a kotcJikor ! 

 Taba also showed signs of fury in his peculiar way. 

 He explained to us that this was the hunter who 

 had been sent from camp to bring the meat of the 

 sheep killed by Littledale on the previous clay. Not- 

 withstanding all the exhortations given him to take 

 the greatest precautions, and by no means to start 

 before evening, he had been tired of waiting, and in 

 this reckless way had spoilt our chance. And this 

 was one of our hunters ! Great was our consternation 

 and disappointment. Nothing, however, could be 

 done ; so we kept watching the herd, and decided 

 to wait in hope of seeing the animals come down 

 again in the afternoon. We saw them stop half-way 

 up the hill and settle down on the slopes. To stalk 

 them where they now lay meant certain failure, to 

 say nothing of three or four hours' hard climbing. 

 Unfortunately our expectations were all to be baffled 

 that day. Nothing would induce the sheep to shift 

 their quarters again in our direction, though we 

 persevered in our crouching position till 4 p.m., 

 suffering acutely from "pins and needles." Finally 



