THE PTARMIGAN 113 



ing a good deal of annoyance to the coveys which 

 chose the slower method of progress. Strong gusts of 

 wind periodically swept the corrie, and the Ptarmigan, as 

 they felt their approach, turned as one bird and, crouching 

 low on the snow, held their ground with great tenacity 

 until a lull allowed them to renew their progress down- 

 hill. After a time the birds took wing together, and dis- 

 appeared from sight towards lower levels ; but here the 

 storm was felt much more severely, and a little later on, 

 when we again disturbed the Ptarmigan, they made for the 

 corrie where we had originally seen them. Out in the open 

 the wind was blowing with gale force, the drift and falling 

 snow rendering progress difficult, and objects only a short 

 way off hard to distinguish. 



We reached our shelter before the full force of the 

 storm swept the glen, and it was fortunate that we did 

 so, as the following incident will make clear. Although 

 the darkness had not yet closed in, the drift was so thick 

 that there was a certain element of danger in venturing 

 even a few yards from the door of the bothy ; so a coin 

 was tossed to decide who should make the journey to 

 the well for a fresh supply of water. I succeeded in 

 winning the toss, so my friend set out with a large pail 

 to search for the well. It may be difficult to credit the 

 fact, but so thick was the drift, that in the twenty-five 

 yards which separated well from bothy he several times 

 lost his bearings, and returned five minutes later breath- 

 less and exhausted, just as I was debating whether it would 

 be advisable to tune up my bagpipes to guide him back 

 to shelter. 



No one who has not actually experienced a hill-storm 

 can form any conception of its severity, and from such an 

 experience one can realise the immense difficulties from 

 this source which beset the Arctic explorers on their 

 marches. I doubt whether, under the conditions which 



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