THE GAME OF THE PLAINS 595 



yellow tulips and blue anemones flashed in the sun- 

 The icy blasts of winter had been replaced by balmy 

 breezes, and already the midday sun was beginning to 

 get uncomfortably powerful. 



Animal life had also awakened after its winter's 

 sleep. The various kinds of small desert mammals were 

 busy repairing their burrows, which honeycombed the 

 ground in many places. Smart brown-and- white chats 

 bobbed fussity in and out of their breeding-holes. Small 

 lizards darted away at almost every step. These my dog, 

 Wung, considered to be his own particular perquisite, and 

 was never tired of chasing them. They were generally 

 much too quick for him, but occasionally he made a lucky 

 shot with his clumsy puppy paws, and then he would 

 march proudty along with the lizard's tail hanging out of 

 one side of his mouth, till another caught his eye, and 

 the game started all over again . Small groups of gazelle 

 were frequently within view, and the tracks of wild-asses 

 crossed ours, but our thoughts were now directed to the 

 saiga, and a sharp look-out was kept for it. A meagre 

 spring of none too clean water befriended us the first night. 



A desert hare was shot at this place. No native of 

 Central Asia, unless he is hard put to it, will eat a hare, 

 for they are said to be unclean beasts. In the summer, 

 when there is ample grass for them, this accusation is, 

 I think, unjust, but during the rigours of winter they 

 do undoubtedly live on offal round about the native 

 encampments. 



At the end of the second day's march we reached 

 another spring, from which Nears had hopes that we 

 should see a few saiga. It was this very place that he 

 had visited on many occasions. He gave us glowing 

 accounts of his hunting exploits, the number of saiga 



