TO THE HOLY HILLS 349 



taking with the di-zha those the Samoyeds did not shoot. 

 The Russians are far superior to the Samoyeds at this 

 game. The Samoyeds use an underhand toss, but the 

 Russians throw overhand in cow-boy fashion. It is a 

 queer picture. You have the big herd divided into two, 

 a constant stream of cows and calves bolting from one 

 side to the other. The Samoyeds are squatting here 

 and there on one knee with their old flintlocks, and the 

 Russians creeping low about with the di-zha ready 

 coiled. The dogs bark, the cows and calves call or grunt 

 incessantly to one another, the cows always trying to 

 screen the calves by keeping them close at their side. 

 Every now and then a calf goes down, and the mother 

 stops for a moment smelling it and grunting, but the 

 calf makes no response, and she is soon hurried on by 

 the press. She will come back there presently and try 

 to move it with her head, and finding it does not stir she 

 stands over it for a moment or two, a sad picture of wild 

 sorrow, and then walks slowly away, stopping at every few 

 steps to call it on. At first the deer keep breaking and 

 trying to bolt, but, being always headed by the dogs, give 

 it up as hopeless. All the same, every now and then a 

 few will get together and creep off. If they manage to 

 get a hundred yards without being noticed they then stop, 

 lay their horns right back on their shoulders, break into a 

 swinging trot, and then into a gallop. When they mean 

 going like this they sometimes succeed in getting clear 

 off; and they would always, if they could only keep a 



