SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 



could make out the forms of several deer breaking 

 through the small timber. The herd, which con- 

 tained five deer, came bounding diagonally down 

 the slope. At the edge of the wood one of them 

 broke back up the hill again, while the other 

 four made straight across the valley towards me. 

 Something turned them, however, and I lost my 

 chance of a good shot, as they disappeared into a 

 side ravine. The lone deer continued along the 

 wooded slope, and I turned my attention to him. 

 He was a little too far for me and going at a great 

 speed in spite of the deep snow. At last he cleared 

 the wood and started up the ravine in which my 

 companions were stationed. He escaped a bullet 

 from Buchan's rifle by a miracle, only to fall at a 

 shot from Douglas. This was our first blood, 

 and we returned to Hsi-wan-tzu very pleased with 

 the day's sport. 



On another occasion we were similarly placed 

 along a narrow ravine, which skirted a wooded 

 slope. Again a small herd of roedeer were 

 started up by the beaters, and again they ran 

 the gauntlet of our fire. Having successfully 

 evaded Schroder, Buchan and myself, they rounded 

 the shoulder of a hill and ran right into Douglas, 

 who was equal to the occasion and bagged two. 

 One of these was wounded only in the hind leg, 

 and gave the party a long chase through the deep 

 snowdrifts, before he finally succumbed to a 

 long shot from Schroder's rifle. 



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