CHAPTER XV 



THE SPIRIT OF THE MOUNTAIN 



Nay, how absolute she's in't, 

 Not minding whether I dislike or no ! 



Pericles 



Lay not your blame on me if you have lost him ; 

 Why, I have lost him too. 



Othello 



THE Leader and I made for quite a different part of 

 the ranges, not nearly so difficult as the ground shot 

 over by Cecily and myself. The peaks were much 

 lower, and though there were some difficult bits to 

 daunt us, the place was not a sort of miniature 

 Himalayas. 



We chose a delightful spot for camping, a green 

 strip of ground, backed by a rocky escarpment, on 

 which dozens of ptarmigan thoughtfully roosted o* 

 nights. A river ran almost at our very feet. 



The first evening led us down the ravines and up 

 again to the hillsides, which were dotted all over with 

 bands of sheep. Sometimes we needed both hands 

 to help us keep the balance, and rifles had to be 

 carried in slings. The men had a holiday, and we 

 tried our luck alone. Half-way up a shale slope, 

 fissured with small dry water courses, we heard a 

 great commotion. Crash ! Crash ! A noise like a 

 heavy bale of goods falling with a thud as the some- 



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