GEOUSE. 121 



thus the earliest dawn, stealing through the chinks of the 

 doorway, disturbed us as effectually as a louder summons 

 would have done. We were soon up, and while the other 

 gun replenished the camp fire I went for water from the 

 tumbling stream to make the early coffee, the very thought 

 of which gave us an appetite. How fascinating the world 

 was in its " beauty sleep ! " The sky an undecided purple, 

 with here and there a star twinkling faintly ; and, down in 

 the east, a great straw-coloured planet lying just upon the 

 deep, black, rocky outline of a towering mountain summit. 

 The stillness meanwhile was worth listening to. Even the 

 rill by which I stood, regardless of my errand, seemed quieter 

 than usual, and fell into its deep pool between the rocks 

 less obtrusively than heretofore, not another sound breaking 

 the silence far or near. The whole glen, indeed, was buried 

 in calm repose and peace ; below, the black, profound, 

 silent shadows, contrasted here and there with pale streamers 

 and patches of mist marking the bogs or peat holes ; above, 

 on either hand, against the sky the rugged edges of the hills 

 were now just touched with a suspicion of the coming day, 

 their outlines growing sharper every minute. But an im- 

 patient shout from my companion brought me to the con- 

 templation of the practical. The kettle was soon filled at 

 the bubbling cascade, and, hurrying back, we were forthwith 

 busy in the preparation of a hasty meal, for we were bent on 

 watching the sun make his rise from a point of vantage, and 

 there was little time to be lost. 



Nor was our energy without its reward. The meal over, 

 and the things replaced for the moment in the hut, with guns 

 on our shoulders and our sprightly dogs at heel, we boldly 

 turned our faces to the steep northern ascent ; and, hand 

 over hand, through deep rock-bestrewn bracken, and dim 

 ghostly tangles of dwarf birches and alders, silent and quiet 

 in the cool air of the early morning, we made our way, until, 

 somewhat breathless and warm after ten minutes' hard 

 climbing, a rocky ledge was gained commanding a mag- 



