THE HIGHLANDS IN WINTER 55 



tion, the terror of the milder west, is almost un- 

 known ; altogether, there are many worse places to 

 be snowed up in than Halkirk. 



Nevertheless, here, as in less salubrious plains, the 

 King of Terrors claims his tribute. A few days 

 ago, while the storm was at its height, there was a 

 burial in the bleak little kirkyard, perched on a 

 bluff crag, round which Thurso creeps between bas- 

 tions of ice. Eoads were impassable for all but 

 foot passengers, and these struggled with difficulty 

 through the wreaths. God's acre was swathed in 

 white : only in one spot had the pall been pierced 

 and the ruddy earth thrown out to make a grave. 

 The mourners gathered round, a group intensely 

 black upon the snow. No pomp of funeral pro- 

 cession, no roll of muffled drum, no wailing pipe, no 

 sobbing organ could have lent pathos to the simple 

 severity of the scene, silent save for the rushing 

 mighty wind. 



xx 



How few summer tourists have any idea of the 



winter aspect of their favourite haunts ! The High- 

 lands in 

 In an enclosed country, a fall of snow winter 



has the effect of dwarfing the landscape. Distant 



