AN AWKWARD BIT. 99 



vening ground was for the most part extremely steep, but 

 being craggy and broken, there was a fair chance, we thought, 

 of our being able to get at them, so we resolved to make the 

 attempt. We had got over more than half of the difficult 

 stalk when the animals suddenly became restless, and soon 

 moved hurriedly off over the ridge above. Possibly they had 

 got a taint of us on the wind, which in the steep valleys and 

 gorges among high mountains usually blows upward during 

 the day, and downward during the night ; but more probably 

 they were warned of impending danger by their guardian 

 angels, the moonals, several of which were whistling away as 

 they sighted us from their commanding positions around. 

 Their wild notes just then sounded anything but melodious, 

 and our remarks respecting them were, I fear, rather un- 

 complimentary. 



Having gone up so far, we thought we might as well con- 

 tinue our ascent to the ridge above, and prospect the country 

 beyond it for game as, being above the timber line, the 

 northern exposure would at that elevation be as bare of 

 forest as a southern one usually is at any height. Before 

 we could reach the ridge, however, it was necessary to traverse 

 an exceedingly awkward place. It was a very smooth slope 

 at a fearfully sharp angle. Not the smallest excrescence was 

 there on it for foothold. The ground was covered with a thin 

 layer of fresh-fallen snow, just enough to make the footing 

 slippery and treacherous. Below it the rocks fell away so 

 precipitously that the consequences of a false step would have 

 been too dreadful to contemplate. There were only some 

 fifty yards of danger, but my nerves underwent a considerable 

 amount of wear and tear before we got over them. Be it 

 remembered, this was my first essay at hunting on the upper 

 ranges. Hitherto I had thought something of my experiences 

 on the gooral grounds of the middle ranges, until they were 

 totally eclipsed by those of the vast heights of these upper 

 regions ; and such a place as we had now to negotiate might 



