The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-11-28


in all the higher regions Of Ala tau.
Ac-tau and and Mus.tau. He affords
noble sport for The hunters; and bis
horns are lishly valued by the Chinese.
But it demands fearless hunter to
follow him into his haunts among the
precipices, glaciers and snowy peaks
of this region. In winter and
spring he is found in the valleys, but
as the weather gets warmer be ascends
to escape the flies and other insects.
Marals are seldom found in herds,
though groups Of ten or twelve ere
sometimes seen standing on the brink
of precipice 1900 or 1000 feet 10
height. quite inaccessible 10 man. At
other times have beheld them climb
ing the lofty crags. and cropping the
velvety moss which grew on the
lodges.
On one occasion / saw group of
seven standing on the top Of mass of
rock, rising up like . gigantic tower to
the height of 700 or 500 feet, three of
its sides being nearly perpendicular
and the fourth was formed by a mar
row ridge of rocks running up from the
top of great precipice 1t an angle Of
sixty degrees. In some parts this lire
was broken by great perpendicular
steps. that appeared to render it i'm
possible to ascend. Still, along that
narrow ridge they had climbed to. the
summit.
A great chasm, at least 1000 feet
deep and 600 yards in width. separ
ated us from them, much TO the re-
greet of our little party, and no place
could be found by which to descend
into the gorge and scale the opposite
precipices. Could We have succeeded
in this, some Of the marals must have
fallen to our rifles.
1t was tantalizing sight to hungry
men, one that often prompts the hun
ter to feats of daring, but in this in
stance we could only look with admi-
ration on the splendid animals, and
hope for a nearer acquaintance an
other time.
have followed my game, commenc
ing the chase without a breakfast,
having had no dinner or supper the
preceding day After stalking stag
for FIVE or six hours, his branching
horns are seen above the copse in
which b. is lying. some 400 or 500
yards distant. Another half hour of
cautious creeping places me within
range, whence the shining black eve
can be marked as the target.
Stretched at full length on the
ground, vet scarcely daring to raise
my head to obtain sight along the
tube, the bead of the rifle covers the
speck of black. giving a certainty of
an approaching banquet. At last the
finger touches the trigger, but instead
of the whistling bullet performing its
functions the hammer falls on a bad
cap. This slight crack, however.
rouses the maral, and in an instant he
bounds away, carrying my dinner
with him.
The Cossacks and Kalmucks display
finer sense of honor in their hunting
than many highly civilized Europeans.
Two Cossacks were out hunting the
marals for two objects, food and ant
lers. They had followed the game fan
up into the Ala.tau. and had been sue
cessful, sleeping at night near their
spoil. The next morning they started
again in pursuit, when, after some
hours, they found a magnificent animal,
whose horns they saw were worth 100
roubles $3.50 prize we'll worth secur.
ing. They hunted him from one val
ley'to another. till at last he retreated
to high, craggy region.
His pursuers were not the men to
be deferred by obstacles. They scaled
the rugged height, still following on
his track; whichever way he turned
some slight mark betrayed bis path.
Late in the afternoon they caught
sight Of his branching horns in a deep
rent in the mountain, whose des were
nearly perpendicular, while the oppo.
site end terminated on the brink of a
great precipice, thus preventing a
chance of escape.
When they entered the gorge, he
rose from his lair, about 800 yards in
advance, and started forward among
rocks. They followed rapidly and
gained upon him fast. Having reach.
ed about one hundred PAGES of the end
of the ravine, he stood hesitating, and
looked back, seeming inclined to
double and make rush to pass them.
From this circumstance. the Cos
sacks knew that some other animals
were in the pass. They did not fire.
but gradually approached. The stag
went slowly on. evidently in fear
l. l1o.L.