SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
at once scurry up the opposite side, when a report 
from one of our guns would startle them into 
repeating the silly manceuvre, which had already 
proved fatal to several of their number. In this 
way we made the very respectable bag of six large 
birds, averaging 5 lbs. apiece. On four different 
occasions I encountered flocks of these birds, all 
of which acted in the same way. 
Leopards were numerous in the districts, but I 
never succeeded in actually encountering one. 
We tried trapping for these dangerous but hand- 
some pests, without success. They could be 
enticed to the traps, but always managed to avoid 
being caught. A live sheep was cleverly extracted 
from the midst of several traps, which were subse- 
quently overturned and sprung as if to express 
the contempt of the great feline marauder. 
Tracks in the ploughed field showed how he had 
walked round and round the group of traps, 
planning a way to reach the bait without getting 
caught. 
While up hunting in the highest parts of the 
range, I came across tiger tracks in the snow. 
The Chinese in the district said that there were 
tigers, but refused absolutely to lead me to their 
haunts, so greatly did they fear this animal. 
Several wolves were seen, and one was shot, 
but it escaped into a wood, where it was subse- 
quently picked up by a shepherd. This was one 
of a pack of six, which, late one afternoon, after 
51 
