294 AFTER WILD SHEEP IN THE ALTAI 



wounded a Wild Swan. After dinner the Russian 

 official paid us a visit, and having learnt from him 

 that the species of Duck I wanted was not uncommon 

 in the country, I left with him my coloured plate of 

 the bird, together with three or four skinning knives, 

 and in return got his solemn promise that, within 

 three months, I should receive a skin of the Duck in 

 question at St. Petersburg. Two years have since 

 elapsed, and the Duck has not yet been heard of! 



Next morning we said good-bye to Kosh-Agatch, 

 and, crossing the Tchouia River, which we now found 

 fordable, followed it down along the Ongoudai path. 

 We pitched camp, after a twenty-five versts' march, 

 at the first station, called Kouekhatonar, where a small 

 log hut was built for the few travellers or tradesmen 

 who happened to pass that way. Before we left the 

 Kosh-Agatch Plain my wife was afforded another 

 chance of showing her skill with Littledale's Mann- 

 licher at a Wild Swan which was swimming on a lake 

 a hundred yards off. The bird dropped its neck into 

 the water stone dead, and I forthwith stripped and 

 started to bring it back, though the lake was very 

 cold. Happily it was shallow, and I waded through 

 knee-deep in the mud. We only remained that night 

 at Kouekhatonar, and were off next morning at 9 a.m., 

 branching away from the Tchouia Valley northwards 



