PTARMIGAN -SHOOTING. 123 



care and skill with which my guide scrutinised every 

 likely spot ; passing over the hanging cliffs by which 

 we were surrounded with a very superficial glance, he 

 directed his chief attention to the cairns^ or heaps of rock 

 and stone scattered jaggedly about. All at once I felt his 

 vice-like grasp upon my shoulder, the other hand pointing 

 to one of these cairns, not twenty yards oif. I strained 

 my eyes to the utmost, but could see nothing, save the 

 dull grey rock. His impatience grew extreme, and 

 vented itself in loud whispers " Shoot him sitting ! " At 

 last I caught sight of the bird, its head and tail carried 

 low, and colour so like the jutting rock that it might well 

 have been taken for one of the points none but a prac- 

 tised eye could possibly have discovered it. With eager- 

 ness and trepidation my gun was raised off went the shot 

 up went the ptarmigan with a hoarse croak a fine 

 cock ! My second barrel followed the example of the 

 first. The bird flew rapidly round the precipice, and with 

 it my last lingering hope ! I saw the difficulty of finding 

 them, and despaired of hitting even when found. So we 

 retraced our steps with my solitary bird, which happily 

 served to stop minute inquiries about the day's sport. 



Many years elapsed before I again visited Ben-Voirla, 

 but in that time I had taken a leaf out of my instructor's 

 book, and could also trust myself not to throw a chance 

 away when the birds were discovered. I was now 

 accompanied by a friend from the south a very good 

 shot, and particularly anxious to see and bring down a 

 ptarmigan. 



