Chapter 348: Successful Luring

The weather seemed to have given everyone some face, as it suddenly stopped, though the sky remained overcast, as if it were about to continue snowing. The members of the Scientific Expedition Team could not suppress their restless moods and opened the door to go out and check the situation.

The herd of horses was also gradually starting to move; after all, they had not eaten a thing for two days and two nights while having to endure the wind and Snow, which no one could withstand. It was just that the accumulated Snow was already very thick, making even walking difficult, let alone finding Grass to eat in such deep Snow.

However, they had long since discovered the Grass and fodder piled up in the open space by the Scientific Expedition Team. Now, they no longer cared about any fear and would boldly step forward to try and nudge the piles of Grass buried in the Snow.

Seeing that the time was ripe, the members of the Scientific Expedition Team decided they could feed them; mainly, if they didn't feed them soon, the horses would likely starve to death.

The members of the Scientific Expedition Team were also afraid of startling the herd, so only a dozen or so people came out. They pushed the Snow off the grass piles, untied the ropes binding the grass, and used their bodies to scoop up armfuls of grass, scattering it evenly across the snowy ground. The herd went crazy at this moment and began to devour it, not caring at all if they were eating the Snow along with it.

There were many horses and little grass, and their speed of distribution could not keep up with the horses' speed of eating. Some small horses were unable to squeeze to the front due to their weakness, and these small horses became the main objects of care for the Scientific Expedition Team.

They knew that the possibility of taming adult horses was not high, but the chances would be greatly increased for the small horses. Moreover, in this situation, if they secretly led away a few small horses without anyone noticing, the starving herd might not necessarily discover it.

Unfortunately, their Abacus was calculated loudly, but not well. The lead horse had already taken the lead to scramble for the as-yet-unseparated fodder. Facing the crowding and scrambling of a group of tall, wild horses, these weak humans had no courage to stand in front and could only wait until these horses had eaten their fill before doing anything else.

The small amount of fodder they had brought was quickly snatched up by a group of large horses. Those following behind could only pick up some grass scraps to eat. At this time, the Snow began to pick up again, but because of the chaos, the herd had no intention of forming a circle. The horses in front were full but could not turn around to make space, while the horses in the back were still pushing hard toward the front, making the scene extremely chaotic for a time.

However, the chaos could not last long; they were still sanctioned by the Snow. Finally, the lead horse neighed a few times, and the herd gained a little order before starting to retreat.

But the horses in the back found another opportunity to squeeze to the front, wanting to see if there was anything to eat, but unfortunately, it was empty.

The members of the Scientific Expedition Team saw a few stray, half-grown horses, so they hurriedly opened a bag in a nearby vehicle, took out a handful of fodder, and walked with deep and shallow steps through the snow to the side of a small horse, reaching out to let it eat.

The small horse flared its nostrils a few times and knew this was something even tastier than grass, so it immediately stretched its mouth over to eat.

Other members of the Scientific Expedition Team followed suit, each looking for a target to feed. But since they were too close, other wild horses also discovered the situation and wanted to come forward.

Now that they had scattered, even if a few surrounded them, the members of the Scientific Expedition Team were not afraid. The long legs the wild horses were so proud of had lost their utility in the thick, accumulated Snow, so they could only watch helplessly as this group of humans blocked the front of their food.

The Snow fell heavier and heavier, and in a short while, their eyes were covered. Helpless, they could only return to the herd and huddle together to stay warm.

The few small horses that had been fed fodder did not know whether to continue eating or return to the herd. At this age, the small horses were not considered large, but they had already left their mothers and had their own decision-making power.

However, in a state of extreme hunger, with the temptation of excellent food, they could only follow the hands of the Scientific Expedition Team members.

The lead horse was in the center of the herd, lowering its head to avoid the Snow, completely unaware of what had happened. The horses on the periphery were already old horses, and they also lowered their heads; after being driven away by the Scientific Expedition Team members, they paid no more attention to the matter.

The few small horses were thus slowly lured away from the herd by the people of the Scientific Expedition Team, though unfortunately, they did not even realize it themselves.

The Scientific Expedition Team members lured the small horses to the front of a wooden house, then opened the door and poured a bag of fodder directly onto the floor inside.

The small horses only then realized something was wrong; after all, the environmental difference was too great. They wanted to leave, but there was already a group of people surrounding them from behind. Wanting to run, the Snow submerged their legs, making it difficult to even walk.

A small horse neighed, hoping to get help from the herd, but the sound was immediately carried away into the distance by the headwind. The herd heard it, but there was no response; they all kept their heads down, continuing to endure the increasingly heavy Snow.

The Scientific Expedition Team members felt very cold but had to persist; this was the step closest to their success. They patiently used the fodder to lure them, while the people behind tried to push them by their hindquarters. Finally, perhaps the food had taken effect, or perhaps the warmth inside the house formed a sharp contrast with the cold outside, but the small horses eventually entered one after another.

Six small horses entered, the wooden door was immediately closed, and several bags of fodder were poured onto the floor with a clatter, left for the horses to eat.

This room was the one where several of them lived, but it didn't matter now. Wasn't their main goal here the horses? Now, they had succeeded.

The team members had uncontrollable smiles on their faces, but they dared not laugh out loud for fear of startling the horses. After a whispered discussion, they decided that only a few people should remain in this room, and the others should leave, so that the horses would be less startled.

The horses were still eating the fodder unscrupulously. The people in the room had already put the collected snow water on the stove to boil. After it boiled, they mixed it with cold water in a large wooden barrel and added salt to feed the horses.

The horses were very cooperative; after eating their fill, they began to drink wildly, not being reserved at all. After eating and drinking their fill, they finally felt panicked, but in such a small house, there was absolutely no room for them to act recklessly. They called out to the herd, but received no response.

Afterward, they seemed to resign themselves to their fate and settled down, starting to look around. The beds where the Scientific Expedition Team members slept could not avoid being messed with, bitten by the horses' mouths and pawed by their hooves.

Fortunately, after a few days, their energy was mostly exhausted. After patrolling their territory once, each found a suitable place to lie down and began to sleep.

The few people inside did not dare to leave at all, but they could not keep these horses here forever. The longer it took, the easier it was for something to go wrong. The most urgent task was how to send these horses to the city.