THE "HORSE-DEER" OF SHANSI 225 



birch and poplar bushes, not more than six or eight 

 feet high, grew on the north slope. Moreover, we 

 could see that the valley ended in open rolling up- 

 lands. 



Turning to Na-mon-gin, I said, "How much farther 

 are the ma-lu?" "Here," he answered. "We have al- 

 ready arrived. They are in the bushes on the moun- 

 tain side." 



Caldwell and I were astounded. The idea of look- 

 ing for wapiti in such a place seemed too absurd! There 

 was hardly enough cover successfully to conceal a rab- 

 bit, to say nothing of an animal as large as a horse. 

 Nevertheless, the hunters assured us that the ma-lu 

 were there, and we began to take a new interest in the 

 birch scrub. Almost immediately we saw three roe- 

 buck near the rim of one of the ravines, their white 

 rump-patches showing conspicuously as they bobbed 

 about in the thin cover. We could have killed them 

 easily, but the hunters would not let us shoot, for we 

 were after larger game. 



A few moments later we separated, Harry keeping 

 on up the main valley, while my hunter and I turned 

 into a patch of brush directly above us. We had not 

 gone fifty yards when there was a crash, a rush of feet, 

 and four wapiti dashed through the bushes. The three 

 cows kept straight on, but the bull stopped just on the 

 crest of the ridge directly behind a thick screen of twigs. 

 My rifle was sighted at the huge body dimly visible 

 through the branches. In a moment I would have 

 touched the trigger, but the hunter caught my arm. 



