ones ae . 
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 
