PTARMIGANS. 191 



men, were lianded to the half-breed with instructions to 

 take them to camp and cook them for dinner, while we 

 continued our tramp in search of more game. We trav- 

 elled about half a mile along the line of the forest until 

 we came to a deep ravine, and there espied quite a large 

 pack which, with wings extended, were fluttering and 

 working away, and enjoying a snow-bath just as their 

 wood and prairie congeners would enjoy a dust-bath. 

 This action proved to us that they were very hot-blooded, 

 and that they were full-blooded we had cause to know, 

 for they bled most copiously when shot, and made the 

 ground look as if a terrible slaughter had taken place 

 there. While they were "snowing" themselves, some 

 were calling to each other or clucking their sense of en- 

 joyment. Their voice was not very pleasant, however, as 

 it consisted of a grating or croaking sound which was 

 extremely harsh and unmusical. This croaking reveals 

 their position very often when they would otherwise re- 

 main undetected, especially in foggy weather, and if a 

 person is then accompanied by a good dog he may kill 

 them easily, as they are loth to take wing. After watch- 

 ing the pack for some time, we flushed them — or at least 

 as many as we could, for some ran off on foot — and 

 bagged three brace with six barrels. Following up those 

 which depended on their fleetness to escape, we managed 

 to knock over a few more and to force the remainder to 

 fly to the forest for safety. 



Picking up the slain, we started after the fugitives, but 

 we had not proceeded more than a few yards before we 

 were startled by a thundering report behind us, and on 

 looking round we saw a mass of snow rushing down the 

 mountain side to our right rear. As we were safe where 

 we stood, I watched it with much interest, though with 

 bated breath, until it disappeared in the canyon, some 

 distance below us; but its rumbling roar, as it went crash- 

 ing down the precipice, greeted our ears for some time 



