122 PTARMIGAN -SHOOT ING. 



missing in good style! not even a feather dropped to 

 hang a peg upon for the exercise of my companion's 

 ingenuity. All the excuse that his wit or wisdom could 

 frame was " You've made them leave that, at ony rate !" 

 After two or three equally successful points, I began to 

 wish myself well out of it ; and, looking up to the 

 stupendous mountain, asked if there was any chance of 

 finding ptarmigan should we climb it. Having small 

 hopes of my performance on wing, and knowing, from 

 experience, that a sitting shot might thus be obtained, he 

 caught at the plan, and we commenced our steep and toil- 

 some ascent. An hour and a half brought us to the first 

 shoulder of the hill, when all of a sudden he stopped, 

 eagerness in every feature, and, pointing in the direction 

 of a large rock, said " If it wasna that I thocht it owre 

 low, I would tak my oath that thing on the tap o' the rock 

 is a ptarmigan." I now walked first, and, ducking down 

 into a ravine, came out about sixty yards from our object. 

 Immediately it took wing, and my gun was at the same 

 moment discharged, with, I must confess, scarcely an 

 attempt at aim. To my inexpressible delight, the bird 

 dropped. Heedless of spoiling my dogs, I rushed up, and 

 seized rny prize. After carefully wrapping its broken 

 wing in tow, to prevent the blood from soiling the feathers, 

 and giving it in charge to my sharp-sighted friend, I 

 proceeded for a fresh search. 



My utmost hope now was to make out the brace, but 

 we toiled to the top of the mountain without seeing 

 another bird. I had sufficient opportunity to admire the 



