PTARMIGAN-SHOOTING. 99 



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 toilsome 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 

 was na that I thocht it too 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 

 my 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 care 



