CHAPTER XVII 



4 



WAPITI, ROEBUCK, AND GORAL 



After the first day we left the "American Legation" 

 and moved camp to one of two villages at the upper 

 end of the valley about a mile nearer the hunting 

 grounds. There were only half a dozen huts, but they 

 were somewhat superior to those of Wu-tai-hai, and we 

 were able to make ourselves fairly comfortable. The 

 usual threshing floor of hard clay adjoined each house, 

 and all day we could hear the steady beat, beat, beat, 

 of the flails pounding out the wheat. 



The grain was usually freed from chaff by the sim- 

 ple process of throwing it into the air when a brisk 

 wind was blowing, but we saw several hand winnowing 

 machines which were exceedingly ingenious and very 

 effective. The wheat was ground between two circular 

 stones operated by a blindfolded donkey which plodded 

 round and round tied to a shaft. Of course, had the 

 animal been able to see he would not have walked con- 

 tinuously in a circle without giving trouble to his master. 



Behind our new house the cliffs rose in sheer walls 

 for hundreds of feet, and red-legged partridges, or 

 chuckars, were always calling from some ledge or 

 bowlder. We could have excellent shooting at almost 

 any hour of the day and often picked up pheasants, 



230 



