ing in we received a visit from a
Chinese trader who gave us a friendly warning to look out for
horse-thieves; he had lost a pony two nights back. Here, then, were the
brigands at last! For the next three nights we kept sharp watch, camping
far off the road and bringing the ponies in around my tent before we
went to sleep. One night, indeed, the two men took turns in sitting up.
Fortunately my Chinese boy and the Mongol hit it off well, for the
Mongol will not stand bullying, and the Chinese is inclined to lord it
over the natives. But Wang was a good soul, anxious to save me bother,
and ready to turn his hand to anything, putting up tents, saddling
ponies, collecting fuel, willing always to follow the Mongol's
lead--save only in the matter of getting up in the morning. Then it was
Wang who got us started each day, lighting the fire before he fell upon
Tchagan Hou and pulled him out of his sheepskin; but once up, the Mongol
took quiet and efficient control.

At Tuerin country and weather changed. There was now abundance of grass,
and the ponies could make up for the lean days past. Thousands of
cattle and sheep again gladdened our eyes, and the pony herds were a
splendid sight; hundreds of beautiful creatures, mostly chestnut or
black, were grazing near the trail or galloping free with flowing mane
and tail.

We had been warned that the rainy season was setting in early, and for
three days we met storm after storm, delaying us for hours, sometimes
keeping us in camp a day or more. We stopped for tiffin the first day
just in time to escape a drenching, and did not get away again until six
o'clock. As some Chinese pony traders had encamped alongside of us, and
there were two or three yurts not far away, I did not lack amusement.
The Mongolian women camped down in my tent as soon as it was up, making
themselves much at home. One was young and rather good-looking, and all
wore the striking headdress of North Mongolia. Like that of the south,
it was of silver, set with bright stones, but it was even more elaborate
in design, and the arrangement of the hair was most extraordinary.
Parted from brow to nape of the neck, the two portions were arranged in
large plastered structures like ears on either side of the head; these
extended out almost to the width of the shoulder, and were kept in place
by bars of wood or silver, the two ends of hair being braided and
brought forward over the breast. This is the style of head-dressing