566 DZUNGARIA 



Uttledalei of the Tian Shan, though they occasionally 

 reach 60 in., as proved by a head picked up later. 



While we were busy with our knives a terrific thunder- 

 storm, which had been brewing for hours, burst over us ; 

 the rain came down in torrents, and the thunder crashed 

 right over our heads. 



With two heads slung over each of our saddles, and 

 the fifth held by my companion in front of him, not to 

 mention several dangling legs of mutton, we slowly made 

 our way towards camp. 



The Borotala is never an easy river to cross late in 

 the day, being very rapid and full of boulders. Weighed 

 down as our horses were, we nearly came to grief several 

 times ; but these mountain-bred ponies never lose their 

 heads, and have a wonderful aptitude for recovering 

 themselves from a stumble, so they brought us through 

 safely. We were a tired and sodden, but contented 

 couple as we came in sight of the camp-fire gleaming 

 in the dusk. 



I was ver}^ disappointed to find that Carruthers, 

 though he had killed what he considered the best, had 

 only secured a 43-in. head out of the herd of ibex, because 

 I had estimated several to be decidedly better than that. 

 If only they had been really big bucks, what a day it 

 would have been ! 



Our highest camp was at the juncture of the two 

 heads of the river, and only a few miles from the frontier. 

 A few roe-deer find shelter here among the patches 

 of low juniper on the hillsides and the dwarf willows 

 that fringe the stream-beds. Carruthers shot a very 

 pretty head with long, thin horns, while I secured two 

 wild boars, a few of which had also taken up their quarters 

 among the willows. 



