6o6 DZUNGARIA 



and gazelle proved his statement to be true, a careful 

 search in the vicinity revealed no signs of their presence. 

 We had started off at a sharp trot westwards, intent 

 on catching up with the caravan, and had left the hills 

 behind us, when some moving, mirage-distorted objects 

 caught our eyes. The glasses showed them to be kulon, 

 moving slowly, almost straight towards us. Hastily dis- 

 mounting, we led the horses into a slight hollow which 

 effectively hid us all from view. After moving forward 

 a short way all together, I left my man with the horses, 

 and continued to advance by myself, making for a clump 

 of sandstone mounds. On reaching their welcome 

 shelter I at once saw that I was in a very favourable 

 position, for the kulon, now only some 500 yards away, 

 were taking a line that would bring them within 100 

 yards of my position. They were moving slowly along, 

 occasionally nibbling at the low saxaul bushes, which 

 covered the ground in places, evidently making for some 

 shady spot among the hills, there to indulge in their 

 midday siesta. As soon as they were fairly opposite 

 my position, I fired at the leader, killing him dead in 

 his tracks, and then made two disgraceful shots as they 

 galloped away. After going 100 yards or so they stood 

 a moment to look back, and I dropped another. They 

 were both four or five-year-old males, and measured 

 respectively 50 in. and 53 in. at the shoulder; they 

 looked very smart and well-groomed in their short, 

 glossy summer coats. 



With the exception of the belly and rump-patch, 

 which are white, the body is sandy fawn, the whole of 

 the legs being of the same colour, though of a slightly 

 lighter shade ; from the short, dark-brown mane to the 

 tail-tuft runs a chocolate-coloured dorsal stripe, with a 



