urtyard when we
awoke. With many apologies they informed us that they had been sent
by the commander of the garrison at Kwei-hua-cheng to ask us to go
back with them. The mountains were very dangerous; brigands were
swarming in the surrounding country; the commandant was greatly
worried for our safety. Therefore, would we be so kind as to break
camp at once.

We told them politely, but firmly, that it was impossible for us to
comply with their request. We needed the sheep for a great museum in
New York, and we could not return without them. As they could see
for themselves our passports had been properly viseed by the Foreign
Office in Peking, and we were prepared to stay.

The soldiers returned to Kwei-hua-cheng, and the following day we
were honored by a visit from the commandant himself. To him we
repeated our determination to remain. He evidently realized that we
could not be dislodged and suggested a compromise arrangement. He
would send soldiers to guard our house and to accompany us while we
were hunting. We assented readily, because we knew Chinese soldiers.
Of course, the sentinel at the door troubled us not at all, and the
ones who were to accompany us were easily disposed of. For the first
day's hunt with our guard we selected the roughest part of the
mountain, and set such a terrific pace up the almost perpendicular
slope that before long they were left far behind. They never
bothered us again.

CHAPTER XV

MONGOLIAN _ARGALI_

Although we had seen nearly a dozen sheep where we killed our first
three rams, the mountains were deserted when Harry returned the
following morning. He hunted faithfully, but did not see even a
roebuck; the sheep all had left for other feeding grounds. I
remained in camp to superintend the preparation of our specimens.

The next day we had a glorious hunt. By six o'clock we were climbing
the winding, white trail west of camp, and for half an hour we stood
gazing into the gloomy depths of the stupendous gorge, as yet
unlighted by the morning sun. Then we separated, each making toward
the grassy uplands by different routes.

Na-mon-gin led me along the summit of a broken ridge, but,
evidently, he did not expect to find sheep in the ravines, for he
kept straight on, mile after mile, with never a halt for rest. At
last we reached a point where the plateau rolled away in grassy
waves of brown. We were circling a rounded hill, just below the
crest, when, not thirty yards awa