THE LURE OF THE PLAINS 103 



motionless as a log of wood until the animal is well out 

 of its burrow then he shoots. 



The Mongols take advantage of the marmot's curi- 

 osity in an amusing and even more effective way. With 

 a dogskin tied to his saddle the native rides over the 

 plain until he reaches a marmot colony. He hobbles his 

 pony at a distance of three or four hundred yards, gets 

 down on his hands and knees, and throws the dogskin 

 over his shoulders. He crawls slowly toward the nearest 

 animal, now and then stopping to bark and shake his 

 head. In an instant, the marmot is all attention. He 

 jumps up and down whistling and barking, but never 

 venturing far from the opening of his burrow. 



As the pseudo-dog advances there seems imminent 

 danger that the fat little body will explode from curi- 

 osity and excitement. But suddenly the "dog" col- 

 lapses in the strangest way and the marmot raises on 

 the very tips of his toes to see what it is all about. Then 

 there is a roar, a flash of fire and another skin is added 

 to the millions which have already been sent to the sea- 

 coast from outer Mongolia. 



Mr. Mamen often spoke of an extraordinary dance 

 which he had seen the marmots perform, and when Mr. 

 and Mrs. MacCallie returned to Kalgan they saw it also. 

 We were never fortunate enough to witness it. Mac 

 said that two marmots stood erect on their hind legs, 

 grasping each other with their front paws, and danced 

 slowly about exactly as though they were waltzing. He 

 agreed with Mamen that it was the most extraordinary 

 and amusing thing he had ever seen an animal do. I 



