222 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



the best ones were shot then. Just as though the sheep 

 world stood still ! Below us, miles below, we saw a 

 mass of vapour waiting to encompass all our little 

 world, so it behoved us to hurry. The blue-black 

 light gave place to grey, the faintly outlined precipices 

 took on clearer pencillings, the sun arose in majesty, 

 and it was full day. 



Off we started, Cecily, Gummidge and I, striking 

 up the bed of a small frozen water course towards a 

 steep ascent, leading Heaven knows where. After a 

 considerable amount of climbing had been done, in- 

 volving no small amount of stress on our clothes 

 Cecily is an ascetic in all but her khaki suit we came 

 on a distinct path, trodden down and clear, the path 

 of sheep for centuries. Following its course we were 

 led to a fearsome corner of the world, a jutting 

 promontory, round which we craned our interested 

 heads. Precipice on precipice met our eyes, going 

 down, down, to a foaming torrent beneath. 



Gummidge said he saw some sheep, but though we 

 looked and looked we could make out nothing alive. 

 It is very difficult to see white on white, even with 

 glasses. 



Then yes, yes ! Three-quarters of a mile away 

 some goat-like specks, in single file, leaping the 

 terrible ridges, nonchalantly, easily. We retraced our 

 steps for a little way, then climbed again, watching 

 the while the ever-nearing bank of cloud that crept 

 insidiously towards us. Over a spiky ridge, down the 

 slopes of another ravine, and there, round another bit 

 of jutting rock, we saw bands of sheep, many ewes, 



