250 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



In the meantime heavy clouds had gathered, and 

 the weather looked threatening-, so we hurriedly 

 grallocked the animal, and started back with the 

 intention of sending" our Kalmuk with the pony 

 to bring- back the head and meat. Rain now 

 began pouring- down in torrents, and before we had 

 gone half a mile we found ourselves thoroughly 

 drenched from head to foot ; in fact, the rain never 

 ceased for the rest of the day, and when we got 

 down to the Lake Valley and found our ponies, 

 there was no question of sending the man after 

 my booty. The second animal I had dropped was 

 a young one, and not worth bringing back. We 

 reached camp at about 6 p.m., none the worse for 

 the dreadful soaking we had undergone, and found 

 Littledale returned. He had seen only ewes on his 

 ground, about 200 in number. Thus ended my 

 second meeting with kotchkor. I had greatly en- 

 joyed an exciting stalk, and had never before found 

 myself so close to them. 



The following day I remained in camp, sending 

 a couple of men to bring back the meat of my two 

 rams killed on the previous day, as well as the head 

 of the large one. Though the weather was still in- 

 clement, Littledale decided to explore the ground 

 where I had shot my Ibex. The two native chiefs 



