CHAPTER XXIII 



THE STALKING OF A STAG 



HAVING described the Kansu wapiti at some length, 

 I now come to his pursuit. 



The first stag I saw was a young animal with 

 only seven points ; it was late in the evening, and 

 in any case I should not have fired at him. This 

 was on October 25th. Four days later George 

 came across a good eleven-pointer with four hinds. 

 We had heard no roars, and the deer kept in the 

 timber, refusing to show in the open and lying 

 very low. 



Our hunters of course had told us the most 

 wonderful yarns of enormous stags on every hill-top 

 whose deafening and continuous roars would effec- 

 tually banish all sleep. We naturally took these 

 stories with a grain of salt, but I was not altogether 

 prepared for the true state of affairs. The usual 

 method of hunting is to start before dawn, locate 

 a roar, return home, hold a council of war, and 

 start out again in the afternoon. On the last day 

 of October it started to snow, and at daybreak 

 next morning Lao- Wei and I were on the ridge 

 above our camp. Resounding roars from the slope 

 opposite cheered us on our way, and with the com- 

 ing of the dawn dim shapes were apparent below 



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