FINE VIEW. LOOKING FOR GAME. 265 



our tent and ascend to the summit of the moun- 

 tain ridge by the time the sun showed itself above 

 the horizon. On a clear still morning the panorama 

 which lay beneath us on both sides of the mountains 

 was enchanting. On the east glistened the riband- 

 like stream of Hoang-ho, and the numerous lakes 

 round the town of Ning-hia-fu sparkled like bril- 

 liants ; on the west the sands of the desert faded 

 from view in a broad yellow band dotted with 

 verdant oases of clay-soil like islands in the sea of 

 sand. The surrounding stillness was unbroken save 

 by the occasional bleat of the deer callinor hjg mate. 



J О 



After a short rest we would make our way 

 cautiously towards the nearest crags of the eastern 

 slope of the mountains, where the mountain sheep 

 are most abundant. On comincj to the edofe of a 



О о 



cliff my guide and I would stretch out our heads 

 and peer down below. After carefully scanning all 

 the ledges and clumps of bushes we would drag 

 ourselves forward on hands and knees and then 

 take another brief survey. This would be repeated 

 at each cliff or rather at each precipitous bluff of 

 rock. Often not satisfied with only looking we 

 would listen attentively for the noise made by the 

 footsteps of the animal or a loose stone detached 

 from its place by his hoof. Now and then we our- 

 selves would roll large stones down to the Avooded 

 ravines to startle our quarry from his covert. It 

 was a fine sight to watch the downward flight of one 

 of these pieces of rock. Barely clinging to the side 

 of the cliff the mass yielded to a slight effort. Slowly 



