SINO-MONGOLIAN FRONTIER 
could make out the forms of several deer breaking 
through the small timber. The herd, which con- 
tained five deer, came bounding diagonally down 
the slope. At the edge of the wood one of them 
broke back up the hill again, while the other 
four made straight across the valley towards me. 
Something turned them, however, and I lost my 
chance of a good shot, as they disappeared into a 
side ravine. The lone deer continued along the 
wooded slope, and I turned my attention to him. 
He was a little too far for me and going at a great 
speed in spite of the deep snow. At last he cleared 
the wood and started up the ravine in which my 
companions were stationed. He escaped a bullet 
from Buchan’s rifle by a miracle, only to fall at a 
shot from Douglas. This was our first blood, 
and we returned to Hsi-wan-tzii very pleased with 
the day’s sport. 
On another occasion we were similarly placed 
along a narrow ravine, which skirted a wooded 
slope. Again a small herd of roedeer were 
started up by the beaters, and again they ran 
the gauntlet of our fire. Having successfully 
evaded Schréder, Buchan and myself, they rounded 
the shoulder of a hill and ran right into Douglas, 
who was equal to the occasion and bagged two. 
One of these was wounded only in the hind leg, 
and gave the party a long chase through the deep 
snowdrifts, before he finally succumbed to a 
long shot from Schréder’s rifle. 
gr 
