242 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



thoroughly reliable, and the demitcha he promised 

 would be more energetic, and keep the men in better 

 order than the one he had granted us previously. 

 He said he would go to his home on the following- 

 day, his duties calling him back, but promised to 

 meet us at Kosh-Agatch, and thence accompany us 

 to his house on the Oulagan River, where he promised 

 us CTood Maral shooting. 



We refrained from reporting to the Zaissan about 

 the constant grumbling that had taken place amongst 

 our Kalmuks, but told him of the two men who had 

 gone away with my revolver. He promised to look 

 into the matter, and said that we should now have 

 no more trouble. We parted with our men that 

 evening, and promised the Kirghiz chief to visit his 

 encampment on our way home, upon which the two 

 chiefs bade us farewell. 



As we sat down to dinner in high spirits we talked 

 over the day's events, and turned in early in order 

 to make a start as usual at 3 a.m. on the following 

 morning-. 



