SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 



six or seven pounds. The other two made good 

 their escape. 



It was indeed a surprise to me to find this bird, 

 which usually inhabits the highest and wildest 

 regions of the country in such close proximity to 

 the thickly populated country round T'ai-yiian Fu. 



On our way back to camp a few more common 

 pheasants were bagged. With this we were satis- 

 fied for the time being, and decided to devote the 

 next day or two to hunting pigs. 



Accordingly on the following day we shouldered 

 our rifles, and set off towards country, where 

 previous experience had taught me we might 

 reasonably expect to find pigs. 



We soon came upon fresh trails, and choosing 

 one, we followed it for many miles through the 

 most picturesque country. At first the trail led 

 along the bottom of a deep ravine, down which 

 flowed a gurgling brook, and the sides of which, 

 stratified and steep, presented a veritable fairy- 

 land of ferny grottoes and spongy mossbanks, 

 half hidden by twining creepers, hanging in 

 enchanting festoons. Soon our way was barred 

 b)^ a sill of rock, harder than the rest, over which 

 fell a sparkling cascade of crystal water. Still 

 following the path marked by the deep spore of 

 our quarry, we climbed up the slippery slopes, to 

 be drenched by showers of dew from the autumn- 

 tinted leaves, which soon would go to increase the 

 richness of the soft mould under our feet. Scram- 



69 



