SOCIAL LIFE 191 



for food. In this instance the performance was due to 

 a cow having quite recently been killed by a bear. 

 The effect of the smell of blood on oxen and horses is 

 apparently capricious, being sometimes very marked 

 indeed, at other times nil. Horses are frequently 

 terrified by the smell of large wild beasts, but I have 

 helped to skin a lion in full sight of my horse, and 

 rolling the skin up, tied it in a bundle to the back of 

 my saddle, without the horse showing the slightest 

 objection. 



My late but passionate love for mountaineering 

 was one cause that subsequently brought me into 

 frequent contact with Professor Tyndall (1 820-1 893), 

 who was then at his very best physically and mentally. 

 He, I, and Vaughan Hawkins (1 833-1908), an eminent 

 classic in his Harrow and Cambridge days and of first 

 rank in mountaineering, made a tour together in 

 Cornwall. We chose our way on Tyndall's principle, 

 that it is easy to find difficult places to climb else- 

 where than in the high mountains. Certainly he 

 was skilful at discovering them. One of his freaks 

 sent my heart into my mouth. It was at a gully, 

 strewn deeply with loose stones that led over a sea 

 cliff. Down he dashed, the stones were all set in 

 motion like an avalanche, but somehow he extricated 

 himself in time and got clear to one side of them. 

 At another place an isolated needle or cone of rock 

 was separated from the shore by a narrow strait 

 through which the sea swirled, but which could be 

 leapt at low water. We leapt it, and clambered up, 

 he declaring that it was as difficult a bit of rock-work 

 as he had ever been on. We reached the top and 

 got back successfully, jump and all, to the mainland, 



