178 EXPEDITION TO KALMUK. 



which he had followed for some time, as they 

 seemed inclined to remain in the neighbourhood 

 probably looking for their mother, poor beasts ! 

 but they were careful not to let him get within 

 shot. He showed me their tracks all about, and, 

 soon after, the spot where he had murdered the 

 mother, the marks in the sand and the blood 

 showing quite fresh. I should very much like 

 to have seen but did not feel at all inclined to 

 shoot one, after all I had heard. 



On the way home we met the ponies going off 

 somewhere in a gang : they were evidently dis- 

 gusted with the saltness of the water, and were 

 going in search of something sweeter. We drove 

 them back to camp, and finding one or two guilty 

 of being the ringleaders of this insubordination, 

 tied them up for the night. 



There being no prospect of a sight of a camel 

 while this snow lay about, I returned by Bashkiok 

 towards Shah Yar, hoping for some news of Bower. 



Going out one morning very early, I was fol- 

 lowing the tracks of a herd of deer, when, to my 

 astonishment, a pair of antlers suddenly appeared 

 over a clump of bushes, and a stag in all its glory 

 walked out into the open and stood broadside to 

 me, little knowing how it was tempting Provi- 



