SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
specimens, I offered the natives 400 cash (about 
ls.) for each additional specimen they could 
secure for me. They discovered a nest of the 
coveted animals in a hollow tree, when, rather 
than risk losing one, they plugged up the hole, 
cut down the tree and carried it bodily to the 
village over a distance of about three miles. Six 
squirrels were found inside, five of which I skinned, 
reserving one alive. This one lived till well into 
the summer, when doubtless the heat of the 
plains was too much for it. 
During the few days we spent in this vicinity 
I hunted the sika deer assiduously. This is 
a beautiful spotted animal about the size of the 
British red deer. Though I followed their tracks 
for miles each day, I never succeeded in sighting 
one, owing to the denseness of the forests in which 
they lived. 
Judging from tracks I saw in the snow, musk 
deer also were common, but, being much hunted 
by the natives, they were very shy and always 
managed to remain out of sight. 
On February 23 we once more started for home. 
Our path now lay over the most difficult country 
imaginable. The steep slopes were covered with 
ice, so that our animals had the greatest difficulty 
in ascending them. Spills were frequent, and 
more than once the loads were thrown off and 
boxes smashed. 
As we neared the pass, we entered a deep 
57 
