SPORT ON THE PLATEAUX 335 



seemed to recover from their fright, and, after gazing 

 up wind for a few minutes, one by one, they began to 

 paw the ground and lie down again. 



A lengthy discussion now took place as to our next 

 move ; it was carried on in a mixture of Russian and 

 Turki. The old fellow had picked up a few words of 

 the former from wool-merchants and traders, and of 

 the latter most Altai Mongols have a smattering, from 

 contact with their neighbours, the Kirghiz. Having 

 decided on our line of approach, we retreated to the 

 horses, and, by taking advantage of the folds of the 

 ground, were able to ride over the greater portion of 

 the intervening distance. 



On reaching the rounded end of the hill on which 

 the " rams " were lying, though still half a mile down- 

 wind from them, we again left the horses and pro- 

 ceeded on foot, our objective being the crest of the ridge 

 almost above the herd. Constantly trying the wind, 

 which was very light, with particles of wool from the 

 old hunter's coat, we reached our new vantage-point. 

 Choosing a cluster of rocks, I slowly raised my head inch 

 by inch above the crest till I was able to get the glasses 

 on to the herd, and then my heart gave great throbs 

 of excitement as, for the first time, I realized that 

 before me were as fine a lot of heads as any hunter 

 had ever looked upon. As the old Mongol scanned 

 them his wrinkled face slowly broadened into a grin. 

 Turning to me with an "I told you so ! " look, 

 he said, *' Bolshoi koshgor," at the same time clasping 

 his thigh with both hands to indicate the girth of the 

 horns. They were now about 400 yards below, and 

 slightly to our left, on a gently sloping hillside. At 

 first sight it looked as if a closer approach were out of 

 II — 2 



