i \ 



f o 



against the snow. They were not 

 startled. 



Those inquisitive heads, with ears 

 alert, looked at us for some time, and 

 then leisurely moved out of sight. We 

 scrambled out of the stream and com- 

 menced ascending the mountain after 

 them. The damp snow packed on 

 Blondey's hoofs, so that he was walking 

 on snowballs. When these got about 

 five inches high, they would drop off and 

 begin again. It is needless to say that 

 these varying snowballs did not help 

 Blondey's sure-footedness, especially as 

 the snow was just thick enough to con- 

 ceal the treacherous slaty rocks beneath. 

 For the first time I understood the 

 phrase, to be ' all balled up/ 



Between being ready to clear myself 

 from the saddle and jump off on the up 

 side, in case Blondey should fall, and 



