CHAPTER XY 



MONGOLIAN ABOALI 



Although we had seen nearly a dozen sheep where we 

 killed our first three rams, the mountains were deserted 

 when Harry returned the following morning. He 

 hunted faithfully, but did not see even a roebuck; the 

 sheep all had left for other feeding grounds. I re- 

 mained in camp to superintend the preparation of our 

 specimens. 



The next day we had a glorious hunt. By six o'clock 

 we were climbing the winding, white trail west of camp, 

 and for half an hour we stood gazing into the gloomy 

 depths of the stupendous gorge, as yet unlighted by the 

 morning sun. Then we separated, each making toward 

 the grassy uplands by different routes. 



Na-mon-gin led me along the summit of a broken 

 ridge, but, evidently, he did not expect to find sheep in 

 the ravines, for he kept straight on, mile after mile, with 

 never a halt for rest. At last we reached a point where 

 the plateau rolled away in grassy waves of brown. We 

 were circling a rounded hill, just below the crest, when, 

 not thirty yards away, three splendid roe deer jumped 

 to their feet and stood as though frozen, gazing at us ; 

 then, with a snort, they dashed down the slope and up 

 the other side. They had not yet disappeared, when two 



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