214 SUCCESSFUL STALK. 



were there the same extent or luxuriance of grass 

 plains (prairies) here that there is in South America, 

 where a few stray individuals have been known to 

 multiply into enormous herds. 



The Mongols said that soon after the devasta- 

 tion of Ordos, wild sheep also appeared in these 

 steppes, but they have all been destroyed by 

 wolves. A few camels still wander about, one of 

 which we succeeded in capturing, but it was a 

 young one. 



The first spot where we saw the wild cattle was 

 twenty miles west of the temple of Shara-tsu. Our 

 supply of meat being exhausted, we determined to 

 take advantage of so favourable an opportunity to 

 replenish it. We were, however, unsuccessful at 

 first, entirely owing to our misplaced confidence in 

 the stupidity of cows ; at length, on the third day, 

 early in the morning, I crept up to two bulls which 

 were fighting among the bushes, and brought them 

 both down with a right and left shot from my short 

 rifle. 



This success was most welcome to us, as we 

 were now able to dry a supply of meat for the road. 

 We dragged the best part of the slain animals to 

 our tent, and cut up the meat into thin slices to be 

 dried in the sun. This bait attracted numbers of 

 kites, and we were obliged, gun in hand, to mount 

 guard over the suspended pieces of meat. Eagles 

 {HalicEtos Macei) also appeared and paid the penalty 

 of their temerity by enriching our collections. 



While the meat was drying we fished in a desic- 



