598 DZUNGARIA 



the burkark differ from all other animals, but also in its 

 movements. Even when thoroughly alarmed, it never 

 raises its head above the line of its shoulders. Its move- 

 ments resemble those of a clockwork animal more than 

 anything else. On being disturbed it gets into its full 

 pace immediately, and during the first hundred yards 

 gives two or three curious leaps, with the fore part of 

 its body only ; it exhibits none of the graceful movements 

 of the gazelle, but moves its legs rapidly, without dis- 

 turbing the steadiness of its body, the motion resembling 

 that of a pacing horse. 



We now moved very slowly along, carefully spying 

 the slopes of the bluff which faced the plains. All along 

 the crest was a line of low stone sangars, which, Nears 

 informed me, were used by him and other hunters later 

 on in the summer. He told me that he had frequently 

 seen several herds of burkark, numbering hundreds, from 

 this very position during the month of July. 



Soon after this we spied a solitary buck feeding at the 

 foot of the slopes. He was in a very favourable position 

 for a stalk, and we had no difficulty in getting within 

 fifty yards. I then made one of the worst shots imagin- 

 able, missing him clean, though he offered an easy broad- 

 side shot. His escape, however, was shortlived, for 

 after a rapid spurt of a hundred yards he stopped for 

 a moment to look back ; there was no mistake about 

 the accuracy of the second shot, for it caught him fairly 

 in the shoulder. He proved to be only a young buck 

 with immature horns. Being in the middle of changing 

 from his winter to his summer coat, he had a very untidy 

 appearance. This animal stood 27J in. at the shoulder, 

 and weighed, when cleaned, 40 lb. Besides being only 

 a young beast, he was in very poor condition, and I 



