CH. XXXIV. ASCENT OF THE MOUNTAIN. 231 



continued hard. " But for a' that, it will be no 

 easy travelling," was his final remark. 



Before daylight I was up, and making my toilette 

 by the light of a splinter of bog fir. The operation 

 did not take long, nor did it extend beyond the 

 most simple and necessary acts. The " gude wife " 

 had prepared me rather an elaborate breakfast of 

 porridge, tea, and certain undeniably good barley 

 and oat cakes, flanked by the remains of my 

 supper, eggs, etc. As Donald seemed not to like 

 the expedition, I left him at the hut, with strict 

 injunctions to procure enough black game or grouse 

 to form our supper and next day's breakfast. The 

 shepherd took down a single-barrel gun, of prodi- 

 gious length and calibre, tied together here and 

 there with pieces of string ; and having twisted 

 his plaid round him, and lit his pipe, was ready to 

 accompany me. So, having put up some luncheon 

 in case we were out late, we started. 



The sun was not up as we crossed the river on 

 the stepping-stones which the shepherd had placed 

 for that purpose, but very soon the mountain-tops 

 were gilded by its rays, and before long it was 

 shining brightly on our backs as we toiled up the 

 steep hillside. My companion, who knew exactly 

 which was the easiest line to take, led the way ; 

 deeply covered with snow as the ground was, I 



