228 THE FIRST BREATH OF WINTER 



upper rim of the corrie. The ground here was covered 

 with loose shingle, boulders, and wan moss, scant cover 

 for three hundred yards of crawling on hands and knees, 

 which brought us again within sight of the deer ; after 

 that came a hundred yards ' on thy belly shalt thou 

 go/ commanded Donald in effect, by doing so himself 

 and wriggling along serpent-wise. To all his move- 

 ments I conformed, with my nose close to his hob-nails. 

 We were full in view of the deer now; the slightest 

 irregular movement on our part and some vigilant hind 

 would ' pick us up ' ; two hours ' labour would have been 

 wasted. 



At last we came to a limit beyond which we could 

 not venture. Donald whispered that we must wait till 

 they fed within range. Now to wait thus in warm, dry 

 heather in sunshine is by no means the least lux- 

 urious part of hill work. But here to-day, plastered 

 prone on soaking moss, with a sharp stone digging into 

 the pit of one's stomach, snow driving into and melting 

 in one's ears, the wind piercing through wet tweed 

 and flannel as though it had been mousseline-de-laine 

 the question presented itself, 'Is this fun?' to be 

 answered only in the words quoted by Whyte-Mel- 

 ville, ' It may be sport, but I 'm d d if you can call 

 it pleasure ! ' 



A pair of ptarmigan, indeed, strutting about among 

 the rocks, purred their contentment with matters mete- 

 orological and otherwise ; but who ever saw a dissatisfied 

 ptarmigan ? it is the very Mark Tapley among birds. 

 More sympathetic seemed a small wisp of golden plover 



