A DAY AFTER PTARMIGAN 113 



Mixed with the sense of rewarded effort and 

 pleasure at gaining such a height once more 

 together, there crept perhaps a faint breath of 

 sadness as we each placed a stone upon the 

 cairn. 



" Shall we ever come here again, and to- 

 gether ? " I know was our unuttered thought. 

 Such days are rare ; such perfect conditions 

 of all outward circumstances, the beauty of 

 earth and sky, the necessary health and fitness 

 for such achievement, the freedom from care ; 

 these things lie in the lap of the gods, and are 

 rarely given simultaneously to mortals more 

 than once in a lifetime. But they were given 

 to us that day, and deeply and thankfully we 

 drank of the gift. 



As we stood by the cairn, a curious effect of 

 sunlight and cloud madethegreat corrie at our 

 feet appear an unfathomable abyss, full of deep 

 dark shadowintowhich penetratednotagleam 

 of light ; on the farther side, on an absolute 

 level with us, rose Clachlet, the highest point 

 of all the surrounding "high tops." Suddenly 

 from out the darkness below us shot a magni- 



