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They moved down a little more。 The surface was peppered with holes about the thickness of a chop—stick tip。 A dry yellow stalk of grass stood rigidly in the middle of each hole。 Bilgee said； “Tengger gave those air holes to the wolves。 Without them； how could they detect the smell of their dead victims in snow this deep？”
Chen Zhen smiled and nodded。 The holes and grass stalks were safety signs。 A few paces farther down the slope they disappeared； but there were still gazelle and wolf tracks。 The powerful Mongol horses’ hooves broke through three inches of crusty snow and settled into deep drifts as they moved closer to the snow lake； heading toward the nearest dead gazelles。
Finally； the horses could go no farther。 The men dismounted； broke through the crusty surface； and sank into deep snow。 They struggled to stomp out a platform on which they could turn around。 A half…eaten gazelle lay at an angle in the crushed snow beside Chen Zhen’s foot。 All around it was frozen grass from the gazelle’s stomach。 The remains of thirty or forty gazelles that had been caught and eaten lay in the imme—diate area。 That was as far as the wolves had gone。
Chen Zhen gazed out at the most tragic scene he’d ever encoun—tered。 Eight or nine little gazelles stood trembling on the lake a hundred yards or so from him； surrounded by holes in the snow； where other gazelles were now buried。 These surviving animals were too frightened to move； but the tiny spot of hard snow on which they stood could crumble at any moment。 There were others whose thin legs were buried in the snow but whose bodies remained supported by a crusty layer。 They were still alive but immobilized。 These fl eet…footed free spirits of the grassland were hungry and cold； unable to move； suffering one last torment from Death itself。
But the most heartbreaking sight was a series of gazelle heads pok—ing up out of the snow； their bodies pletely submerged。 They might have been standing on a little hillock or perhaps on the corpses of their panions。 By using his telescope； Chen thought he could see the ani—mals’ mouths move； as if crying for help； although no sound emerged。
The crusty surface sparkled like ice； beautiful yet treacherous and cruel； another gift from Tengger to the wolves and humans； a deadly hidden weapon safeguarding the grassland。 The crusty layer is a prod—uct of winter blizzards and the sun。 The winds that sweep across the land are like winnowing machines； removing the powdery snow and leaving a dense carpet of pellets that make up the snowy landscape。 In the windless mornings； all the way up to midday； under intense rays of sunlight； the snow begins to melt； but cold afternoon winds freeze it again。 After several blizzards have blown across the landscape； a three—inch crust； a mixture of ice and snow that is harder than snow alone but more brittle than ice； remains； smooth and slippery； it is uneven in its depth。 At its thickest； it can support a man； but there are few places that can withstand the sharp hooves of the Mongolian gazelles。
狼图腾（英文版）3（6）
The scene made Chen tremble with dread。 Wolves had dragged all the gazelles they could out of the snow； creating long troughs crisscross—ing the edges of the deep snow as they hauled their victims away。 The far ends of the troughs were the abattoirs and picnic areas。 Only the innards and the choicest flesh were eaten； the rest was left as waste。
The wolves had obviously heard the approach of the people and dogs； and had left in a hurry； for the snow pellets were still shifting on the surface； and spots where the wolves had defecated had not pletely frozen over。
Mongolian wolves are brilliant fighters on a snowy field； fully cog—nizant of the limits of battle。 They will ignore gazelles out in the deeper snow； those lying on top and those sunken beneath the surface。 There wasn’t a single track from a probe outside the safe zone。 The animals dragged out of the snow could have fed several large wolf packs； the ignored frozen carcasses were the wolf pack’s guaranteed fresh food； for they would keep till the spring thaw； when the wolves would return for more tasty meals。 This enormous snowdrift and snow lake was a wolf pack’s natural cold storage。 Old Bilgee said； “There’s ice and snow storage for wolves all over Olonbulag。 This is just the biggest one。 The wolves often store their kills in places like this to keep from starving the following year。 The meat of these frozen gazelles is life… saving food for wolves that grow lean in the spring and have a lot more stored…up fat than the live； and very thin； gazelles。” The old man pointed to one of the holes and said with a laugh； “Wolves out here really know how to live。 We’re no match。 As winter sets in each year； herdsmen slaughter their cows and sheep before they start losing their autumn fat and then they store the meat； which will take them through the winter。 They learned that from wolves。”
When Bar and the other dogs spotted live gazelles； their hunting instincts kicked in and they ran toward them。 But when they reached the spot where the wolves’ paw prints ended； they stopped。 Denied the kill； they stretched out their necks and barked madly in the direction of the gazelles。 Some of the targets were so frightened that they broke for the snow lake。 But before they’d gotten far； the crust gave way and they sank into the quicksand…like snow； struggling briefly before disappear—ing from sight。 The snow above them shifted like sand in an hourglass； until it formed a funnel。 One of the animals broke through the crust； thrusting out its front legs and supporting the front half of its body while the rear half sank into the snow。 Half a life was saved—for the moment。
The team dug a path to allow the carts down off the ridge； and when the lead cart reached a point where it could go no farther； a line of carts stretched out behind it。 The men got out and shoveled away the snow around them so that they could unload the carts。
The men walked up to Bilgee。 “All of you； see how the snow off to the west has frozen solid？” he said。 “There aren’t many holes there； but there are a lot of gazelle droppings and tracks； and that means that many got away。”
狼图腾（英文版）3（7）
The sheepherder Sanjai said with a laugh； “I can see that wolves mis—calculate sometimes too。 If the alpha male had sent four or five wolves over here to close off this route； those gazelles wouldn’t have gotten away so easily。”
“If you were the alpha male；” Bilgee snorted； “you’d starve to death。 If you kill off all the gazelles at one time； what will you eat the follow—ing year？ Wolves aren’t greedy like humans。 They know how to figure things out； big things！”
“There are too many gazelles this year；” Sanjai said。 “You could kill a thousand more and still have plenty left。 I want to get my hands on enough money to build a new yurt and get married。”
The old man glared at him。 “When your sons and grandsons get married and the gazelles are gone； then what？ You young people are getting more like those outsiders all the time。”
Seeing that the women had unloaded the carts and dug paths to the deep snow by clearing out troughs the wolves had made when dragging the gazelle carcasses through the snow； and that they’d also built up a snowbank； Bilgee looked skyward and chanted something。 Chen Zhen guessed that he was asking Tengger for permission to go out in the snow and bring up the dead gazelles。
The old man closed his eyes briefly； then opened them again and said； “There are plenty of frozen gazelles at the bottom of the snow； so don’t get greedy。 When you’re out there； first free the surviving animals； all of them； before ing back to dig out the frozen ones。 Tengger didn’t want those animals to die； so we must save them。” He lowered his head and said to Chen Zhen and Yang Ke； “When Genghis Khan finished an encirclement hunt； he let a small number of animals go。
The Mongols have fought like that for centuries； and the reason we can have these hunts year after year is that； like the wolves； we don’t kill off all the prey。”
Bilgee assigned gazelle collection sectors to each family； then let them go off and work on their own。 Everyone followed hunting custom by leaving the nearest and most plentiful holes for the students and for Bilgee； who led Chen and Yang over to his cart； where they unloaded two large rolls of felt； each about two yards wide and four yards long。 They appeared to have been sprayed with water beforehand； for they were frozen stiff。 Chen and Yang each dragged one along the cleared path； while Bilgee carried a long birch club； tipped with a metal hook。 Batu and Gasmai also carried large rolls of felt to the deep snow； little Bayar walked behind his parents with a hook over his shoulder。
After they reached the edge of the deep snow； Bilgee had Chen and Yang spread one of the rolls of felt over the crusty snow； then asked Yang； the heavier of the two； to see if it could sustain his weight。 It was like a gigantic skateboard。 Yang stepped onto the felt； drawing crunch—ing sounds from the snow under it； but no signs of danger。 He jumped up and down。 The