So JOURNEY TO THE PAMIRS. 



taking a look over now and again to see what 

 they were up to. At last one got up, and, 

 stretching himself, began to graze. One after 

 another followed suit, and, to my great joy, 

 moved quietly in my direction. I really began 

 to think that the dream of my life was about 

 to be realised, and I was to kill my first poli. 

 I made up my mind to be very steady, and, 

 when the time came, pick out the best of the 

 lot. While watching them intently with this 

 object, all of a sudden up went their heads, they 

 wheeled round, paused for a second, gazing in- 

 tently, then away they stretched at full gallop 

 right across the plain, and did not pause till well 

 up the mountain-side. 



What was it? 



Why, a beast of a wolf, half a mile off, trotting 

 along with his tongue hanging out ! Oh, why, 

 oh, why were such vermin ever invented ? If 

 only he had been within shot ! The herd of 

 females had also seen him, and huddled them- 

 selves up together. There must have been a 

 hundred of them, packed as close as a herd of 

 tame sheep. I passed within 300 yards of them, 

 in full view, but they only wheeled about, and 

 did not seem to dread me at all. This, for some 



