SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 
In this way four very pleasant though strenuous 
days were spent. Daily we rode out, first up the 
main valley, and then up one of the side ravines, 
to the spot, from which we meant to commence 
operations. Daily a small band of beaters gathered 
behind us, as we rode through the scattered 
villages along our path; and daily we tramped 
miles through the deep snow or sat impatiently on 
some sunny slope while the beaters did their work. 
By noon we were usually in such a ravenous state of 
hunger, that no matter what kind of luck we were 
having, we would one and all find our way back to 
the shack where we had left our ponies, in search of 
something wherewith to replenish our exhausted 
vitality. The first man back was expected to 
prepare food for all. We could usually secure 
potatoes and eggs, which with the bacon and 
cold meat brought in our saddle-bags, formed the 
basis of many a rare culinary masterpiece. 
Each night on returning to the Mission, a well 
cooked dinner awaited us, while usually Father 
R joined us at coffee time and sat smoking 
and chatting till late in the evening. The amus- 
ing thing about these social evenings was the fact 
that conversation was carried on in no fewer 
than five different languages. The Father could 
speak French, Chinese and a little German and 
Spanish, but no English, so that Douglas con- 
versed with him in French, Schréder plied his 
German and Spanish, while I soon fell back on 
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