JV£ KIIJ. A HUGE BULL! 197 



yak-shooting I will describe how we shot one of 

 those whose skins are in my collection/ 



One evening we observed three yaks browsing 

 in a defile not far from our yurta. I went towards 

 them at once, and when within 200 paces aimed at 

 the biggest and fired. All three scampered off, '^ 

 but after running less than half a mile they stopped. 

 This time I approached to about 300 paces, and 

 fired again at the same animal as before. His com- 

 panions bolted, but the huge beast, wounded for the 

 second time, came slowly towards me. I carried 

 my Berdan breechloader, from which I fired shot 

 after shot, apparently producing no more effect on 

 him than if I had been firing at a target. I could 

 see the dust fly off his coat as the bullets struck him, 

 nevertheless he still advanced, only now and then, 

 as he received a more serious wound, recoiling a 

 few paces. When he got within about 1 50 paces of 

 the place where I stood, my ammunition was spent, 

 so, leaving one cartridge in my gun in case of emer- 

 gency, I ran back to camp for a fresh supply, as fast 

 as my legs would carry me. My companion and 

 one of the Cossacks now joined me, and we all 

 three proceeded to the spot where I had left the 

 yak. Here we found him prostrate on the ground, 

 giving no signs of life except by the movement of 

 his head, adorned wuth a splendid pair of horns, 



^ We brought home with us two bull-yak skins. Each, when dried, 

 weighed with the horns nearly 2\ cwt. ; the raw hide, which is half an 

 inch thick on the head and neck, weighs with the horns upwards of 

 3 cwt. 24 lbs. 



- When in company the wild yak seldom charges. 



