SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 
out of range. Nothing we could do would induce 
them to rise and circle. 
While waiting for the ducks to come within 
range, we witnessed a peculiar sight. Heavy 
yellow clouds began to bank up to the north of 
the lake. Soon we could make out that an un- 
usually severe sandstorm was approaching. The 
solid looking clouds towered high above the moun- 
tains, and as they came on with incredible speed, 
blotted out the scenery as though some ruthless 
hand had wiped a picture off the canvas with a 
sponge. Thinking that this would probably 
bring the ducks in to shore, we waited. At last 
the storm, sweeping over the lake and churning 
the surface into foam, struck us. Suddenly the 
temperature dropped from that of a sweltering 
hot day to below 40° Fahrenheit, chilling us to the 
bone. At the same time the driving rain, thick 
with the dust it had absorbed, whipped our faces 
and literally plastered us with mud. No ducks 
came to shore, so at last we mounted our ponies 
in disgust and hurried after the carts. We caught 
them up at a village named Ma-hu-t’ung, and, as 
the wind and rain continued with unabated fury, 
we decided to stop here for the night. 
We were skirting the eastern shore of the lake, 
intending to take a newly opened route through 
the high mountains to the north of the lake, in- 
stead of the usual southerly route. 
The two days following were uneventful, ex- 
108 
