206 AFOOT THROUGH THE 



the lone tower, and if his spirits were not sore cast down, 

 he must have been a man all muscle and no nerve ! 



A cold wind blew at times in short, sharp gusts, 

 confusing and wearisome as I struggled to keep my pre - 

 carious foothold over the mighty rocks, buffeting me so 

 that I could with difficulty draw breath, and could only 

 wonder wearily at the tireless energr of the- wind and 



J Ot/ 



its persistent power, and strike out blindly. Breathless 

 and panting I reached the further side, and taking refuge 

 under some stunted bushes, was pleased to find that, 

 though progress had seemed slow, I had succeeded in 

 passing the greater part of the way to the rise leading 

 to Apharwat, and that once under the lee of the hill I 

 should be protected from the wind. 



Meantime I sat and watched the various flowers that 

 brightened this blossoming land, fritillaries of dusky 

 tones hung their heads from their slim green stalks, 

 showing lurid spots and blotches when the light 

 shone through. Pink androsace made a soft, sweet 

 carpet under the dure rocks, and gorgeous golden 

 anemones struck a cheerful note, they alone 

 having caught and kept some light when the 

 sun had last shone on the grey slope. Tiny ferns 

 forced their way through the hard soil, and a variety of 

 minute sedums and saxifrages gave their aid in the 

 embellishment of the drear scene. Time was pressing, 

 and the steepest of the track had yet to be surmounted, 

 so I trudged on, and having reached the zigzag track 

 which marks the next stage of the climb, was consider- 

 ably humbled to find how narrow the merg was in 

 reality, though taking so much time in the crossing. 



Freed from the fatiguing wind and the hindering 

 stones, I made better progress, and found myself much 

 aided by the manufacture of land marks to cheer me on. 



