160 FROM YARKAND TO AKSU. 



but I did not meet anything until close to camp, 

 when I kicked up a magnificent boar, which ran 

 across a grass prairie. We rode after him, but 

 having no spears, did not press him hard. 

 There had been sheep grazing all round, so 

 sport here was rather hopeless ; and though I 

 followed one stag, I made nothing of it, and 

 continued on my way. 



I struck the Aksu road above Chadir Kul, and 

 had another hunt after a stag ; but the jungle 

 beat me again, although we came to the very 

 spot where he had lain, and the ground was 

 still warm. We could hear the sticks crack, and 

 something moving ahead, but I strained my eyes 

 in vain for a sight of him ; and when we got 

 to the open, the only sign left was his track, 

 which showed that he had gone off at a trot. 



My shikari recommended me not to waste 

 more time, but to go on to Shazar, as the snow 

 might come on at any moment, and there was 

 no knowing where the stags might be ; for instead 

 of coming to water they would eat the snow, 

 and wander all over the country. 



So on Christmas Day I struck my camp, and 

 in a couple of marches reached Chillon, a place 

 of some importance, with a couple of hundred 



