olia that my wife was almost certain he could not be
the same pony. He had to be taught to eat carrots, apples, and other
vegetables and would only sniff suspiciously at sugar. But in a very
short time he learned all the tastes of his city-bred companions.

Horses are cheap in Mongolia, but not extraordinarily so. In the
spring a fair pony can be purchased for from thirty to sixty dollars
(silver), and especially good ones bring as much as one hundred and
fifty dollars. In the fall when the Mongols are confronted with a
hard winter, which naturally exacts a certain toll from any herd,
ponies sell for about two-thirds of their spring price.

In Urga we had been led to believe that the entire trip to Sain Noin
Khan's village could be done in eight days and that game was
plentiful along the trail. We had already been on the road five
days, making an average of twenty-five miles at each stage, and the
natives assured us that it would require at least ten more days of
steady travel before we could possibly arrive at our destination; if
difficulties arose it might take even longer. Moreover, we had seen
only one hare and one marmot, and our traps had yielded virtually
nothing. It was perfectly evident that the entire valley had been
denuded of animal life by the Mongols, and there was little prospect
that conditions would change as long as we remained on such rich
grazing grounds.

It was hard to turn back and count the time lost, but it was
certainly the wisest course for we knew that there was good
collecting on the plains south of Urga, although the fauna would not
be as varied as at the place we had hoped to reach. The summer in
Mongolia is so short that every day must be made to count if results
which are worth the money invested are to be obtained.

Yvette and I were both very despondent that evening when we decided
it was necessary to turn back. It was one of those nights when I
wished with all my heart that we could sit in front of our own camp
fire without the thought of having to "make good" to any one but
ourselves. However, once the decision was made, we tried to forget
the past days and determined to make up for lost time in the future.

[Illustration: The Traffic Policeman on Urga's "Broadway"]

[Illustration: A Mongol Lama]

[Illustration: The Grasslands of Outer Mongolia]

CHAPTER VIII

THE LURE OF THE PLAINS

On Monday, June 16, we left Urga to go south along the old caravan
trail toward Kalg