TIP US. 211 



deal of talking and violent gesticulation, I limped 

 off, feeling much less sure of tramping gaily home 

 in case I did not find the horses than I did half an 

 hour before. 



But my adventure was not to end here. For 

 some time I tried to stalk different herds along the 

 base of the hills, and was eventually led into the 

 hills themselves by an antelope which I imagined 

 was wounded. In following him I must have re- 

 turned to a point in the hills opposite to the scene 

 of my skirmish with the dogs ; for before I knew 

 where I was I stumbled upon three Tartars sitting 

 round a fire, one of whom was my shepherd friend 

 of the morning. Seeing me they jumped up and 

 called to me to come to them. Their fire not being 

 in my course and my antelope still in sight, I kept 

 on my way. The request became a command ; and 

 then seeing how the wind lay, I mentally consigned 

 them to a more tropical climate, and looked anx- 

 iously out for the horses. As I did not come to 

 them, two of them came running to me, while the 

 third, from the top of the hill, sent out a signal-cry, 

 not unlike the Australian ' cooey.' My first thought 

 was to stand and fight, for their intentions were 

 obviously hostile ; besides 1 knew that I should 

 be made to account for the damage I had done 

 their pack in self-defence that morning. But u 

 moment's thought was enough to show me that 

 unless I meant to use my rifle, iny chance against 



p 2 



