A 50-INGE HEAD SECURED. 239 



minutes later was fortunate enough to bring to bag the 

 much-coveted 50-inch head. 



It was a fair illustration of the luck connected with 

 ibex - shooting. To begin with, we had dropped on 

 them quite accidentally, and then the beast carefully 

 selected as the largest, which fell to the first shot, 

 proved to have a horn of only 43|- inches, while the 

 second, picked out hurriedly as the herd moved off, 

 turned out to be a far finer beast, carrying a horn of 

 5 If. The first bullet, which seemed to daze him, I 

 found imbedded in the horn. 



Nurah and the other Kalmuk were gleefully happy, 

 and laughed and shouted with delight as they cut up 

 and skinned the two beasts, and then they loaded 

 them upon the ponies and carried them down to a 

 sheltered hollow, and were soon giving material proof 

 of their satisfaction. A fire was lighted, a cooking- 

 pot and a large chunk of green brick tea produced — 

 most things necessary for Kalmuk life were generally 

 to be found strapped somewhere on one of the ponies — 

 and the marrow-bones thrown on to the embers to 

 roast. This savoury repast finished, they betook them- 

 selves to the joy of chewing nahs, a compound of 

 powdered tobacco and ashes, expectorating thoughtfully 

 on the ground at brief intervals in emphasis of their 

 appreciation. Chewing nahs is a habit which appears 

 to be pretty general among the tribes of Turkestan, 

 and frequent expectoration a necessary part of the 

 practice. A Kalmuk expectorates at all times and 

 under all circumstances indiscriminately, whether he 

 be in his yurt or in the open ; wherefore, when I called 

 my hunters to my tent for consultation, they had to be 

 content with sitting outside. 



It was quite early, but we had done well enough 

 for one day, and after the marrow-bones had all been 



