第4部分(第1/7 頁)

om　the　hollow　stalks　and　the　cracks　in　the　snow。　The　smell　of　grass　drew　starving　gazelles　across　the　border　from　the blizzard…ravaged　neighbor　to　the　north；　to　them　the　spot　was　a　wintry　oasis—they　ate　until　their　rounded　bellies　looked　like　drums；　making　running　all　but　impossible。

Only　the　alpha　male　and　Bilgee　knew　that　the　gazelles　had　made　a　tragic　mistake。

It　was　not　a　particularly　large　herd。　During　his　first　year　on　the　grassland；　Chen　had　often　seen　herds　of　ten　thousand　or　more。　A　cadre　at　brigade　headquarters　had　said　that　during　the　three　difficult　years　in　the　1960s；　soldiers　from　northern　military　regions　had　e　in　vehicles　and　mowed　down　vast　numbers　of　gazelles　with　machine　guns　to　sup—ply　food　to　their　troops；　as　a　result；　they　drove　the　surviving　gazelles　out　of　the　area。　But　in　recent　years；　given　the　tense　military　situation　in　the　border　regions；　large…　scale　hunts　had　ceased；　and　the　Olonbulag　had　witnessed　the　return　of　gazelles　in　spectacular　numbers。　Chen　fre—quently　encountered　large　herds　when　he　tended　his　flock；　a　vast　sea　of　yellow　close　to　the　ground；　passing　by　his　sheep；　relaxed　and　carefree；　but　causing　his　animals　to　huddle　together　in　fear；　watching bug…eyed　with　a　mixture　of　alarm　and　envy　as　their　wild　cousins　raced　past；　free　as　the　wind。

Mongolian　gazelles　ignore　unarmed　humans。　On　one　occasion；　Chen　Zhen　had　ridden　down　the　middle　of　a　dense　herd　with　the　idea　of　roping　one　to　get　a　taste　of　gazelle　meat。　He　failed。　The　fastest　four—legged　animal　on　the　grassland；　the　gazelle　can　outrun　hunting　dogs；　even　wolves。　Chen　whipped　his　horse　and　charged　the　herd；　but　they　kept　passing　on　both　sides；　no　more　than　ten　or　twelve　yards　away；　then　flowed　back　together　ahead　of　him　and　continued　on　their　way。　He　co