84 HUNTING THE TAKIN 



bamboos, as small firs, birches, etc., grew thickly 

 in between. It was very hard luck not killing a 

 male, as he was out for fourteen hours and had a 

 terribly hard day. Old Yong enjoyed it, for he 

 found some roots which were supposed to be good 

 for his tummy, his liver, or some other portion of 

 his anatomy. He was always digging about, and 

 was as keen as a pig after truffles. In the middle 

 of a stalk he would suddenly dive into a hole, or 

 some patch of undergrowth, grub for an indefinite 

 period, and emerge, no dirtier than before, for that 

 was impossible, but heated and triumphant, with 

 some beastly little root, which he secreted in his 

 rags. 



He and the other hunters quite believed that 

 animals were able to understand human speech, 

 but that by the interposition of the monosyllable 

 " leo " this interesting faculty was frustrated. Thus, 

 when two hunters were together, one would call 

 across a gully to the other, " Game coming up to 

 you, leo-leo-leo ! " or, " Go to the right, leo, leo, 

 leo!" a pleasing and unsophisticated belief. 



He was much taken with our rifles, and de- 

 scribed their powers to each wandering wood- 

 cutter. " Before you could put a cup to your lips," 

 he said, " they have killed a pan-yang ; before you 

 can drink, another ; and before you swallow, a 

 third." 



" The most patient people grow weary at last of 

 being continually wetted with rain," to quote the 

 " Arethusa," and after eleven wet days and nights, 

 during which we saw the sun for about eight hours, 

 we had had enough of it, and so, as we had got our 

 beasts, returned to Ling-tai-miao. 



