100 PTARMIGAN-SHOOTING. 



and skill with which my guide scrutinized 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 point- 

 ing to one of these cairns, not twenty yards off. I 

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

 save the dull gray 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 an accustomed eye could possibly have discovered 

 it. With eagerness 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 

 enquiries 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 instruc- 

 tor'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 





