. ^lafee KelL 323 



slowly ; but his progress was great compared with ours, from 

 the uniformity and continuity of his pace. In the worst 

 part of the walk, we tried the effect of following close be- 

 hind him, and putting our feet in his tracks ; and we were 

 surprised to find with what ease we got on. At first we 

 stopped repeatedly, to sit down and drink from the streams 

 that crossed the track or flowed beside it ; and during those 

 halts we observed that the blackness which had for some 

 time been appearing in the west, now completely shrouded 

 the sea. Next, we remarked that while the wind still blew 

 in our faces, — that is from the north-east, — the mass of wes- 

 tern clouds was evidently climbing the sky. The guide quietly 

 observed that there would be rain by and bye. Next, when 

 in the middle of the wild fell, and we saw how puzzling 

 the network of swampy paths must be at all times, we pointed 

 out to one another how the white fleeces of cloud below the 

 black mass swept round in a circle, following each other like 

 straws in an eddy. Soon the dark mass came driving up at 

 such a rate that it was clear we should not finish our walk 

 in good weather. The dense mist was presently upon us. 

 On looking behind, to watch its rate of advance, we saw a 

 few flashes of lightning burst from it. The thunder had by 

 this time been growling afar, almost incessantly. The 

 moment before the explosion of the storm was as like a 

 dream as a waking state can be. We were walking on wild 

 ground, now ascending, now descending ; a deep tarn (Flou- 

 tem Tarn) on our right hand, our feet treading on slippery 

 rushes or still more slippery grass ; the air was dark as 

 during an eclipse ; and heavy mists drove past from behind 

 just at the level of our heads, and sinking every moment ; 

 while before us ; and far below us — down as in a difl*erent 

 world — lay Buttermere and the neighbouring vales, sleeping 

 in the calmest sunshine. The contrast was singular — of 



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