266 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



the rocks. He said he had been within twenty yards 

 of the beast, shouting- and throwing stones at him, 

 but that he had held his own, and steadily crossing 

 the stream had disappeared amongst the crags. Taba 

 had followed him for some time, and then given up 

 the chase. These sheep were, indeed, the toughest 

 animals I had ever come across, and this day's ex- 

 periences furnished the best proof of it, for the ram 

 had gone on for miles with a hind-leer broken and 

 a shattered shoulder, and yet our united efforts had 

 been unable to secure him. We reached camp, 

 after a long and dreary journey, at 6 p.m., and found 

 the tents pitched in a small, narrow gully running 

 northwards, on the Siberian side of the Nam Daba 

 Pass. We were now about twenty-five versts distant 

 from our last camp, and at an altitude of 8,000 feet. 

 I heard from the ladies that the march had not been 

 made without incident, for the new horses, which had 

 been accustomed to remain feeding' all day, were 

 exceedingly loth to carry any baggage or to shift 

 quarters. In consequence of this many of them 

 stampeded, with the result of throwing over their 

 loads. One in particular was a most vicious animal, 

 and Littledale's largest sheep's head having been 

 packed on him, the horns several times were in 

 great danger of being broken. It had begun raining 



