HUNTING THE WILD YAK 
1037 
the hunter creeps close along the ground, skilfully availing 
himself of the slightest scrap of cover. As soon as he 
gets within range, he rests his long rifle-barrel on the fork, 
and aims deliberately, and long, before he discharges his 
piece. As soon as the yak is dead, it is skinned. The 
skin is divided into three sections, two slits being made 
along the upper edge of the hair at the sides, the third 
along the median line of the belly. The best leather is 
obtained from the section off the back, which, like the top 
of the shoulder, is called sirit. It is employed for making 
THE WILD YAK.-BULL (FRONT VIEW) 
■saddles, saddle-girths, bridle-reins, whips, and so on, as 
well as for the better kind of boots. The other two 
sections are used for pretty nearly the same purposes, but 
are not so good in quality. The soft boots [chtiruk) which 
the Taghliks usually wear are made from the skin of the 
legs. The tail is generally hung up as a religious offering 
(titgJi) at some masar (saint’s tomb). 
The skins are sold to the merchants of Cherchen, 
Charkhlik, and Achan, and they carry them to Khotan, 
where they sell them to the kunchis, i.e. tanners and 
saddlers. The skin of the yak is highly valued because 
of its extraordinary toughness and durability. It is almost 
