'nil-: IZZAllD 303 



hair uii liirf Ijack creel, he wheeh'd about and .started in 

 our direction with tlic air of sudden iin|iulse whicli comes 

 over a man when he catches siirht of his ladvdove, for 

 whom he lias been waiting impatiently at the trysting- 

 place. IIow he did gallop on the rocks and scramble 

 through the soft snow, sometimes up to his neck ! Soon 

 a buttress of rock hid him from our sight. We jumped 

 up and ran for a rock wliieh commanded the spot whore 

 lie should reappear. ]\Iinutes seemed hours, till we heaid 

 the slio-ht rattle of fallincj stones. Presentl\- his head 

 appeared and then his body came in sight. He was 

 lookintr about eauerlv for his inamorata bul he was not 

 received wiili the caress whicli he expected. Bang — apnft' 

 of smoke — a momeiii of suspense and then the prolonged 

 sHibiig x'liiid of izzard. snow and small stones, combining 

 lo make a miniature a\alanclie into the boUom of the eorrie 

 below. 'L'animal ! il .sest joJrrDcuf irowpe ccffcfois la ! ' " 

 One of the most curious shots I e\'er made was on the 

 '■ Jjlue ('liff." so called from the sh-it\shah' of which ii 

 was composed, or, as some said, from ils elfeci mi 

 the nerves of an\' novice who attcm[)ted to cHiiili 

 it. Certainly it was all but impossible to get a stalk 

 on ii, p,irll\' owing to its steepness and the erunibl\- 

 nature of the rock, but still more to the (-((neave shape of 

 the eoi-rie. I'^roni its upjiei' edge we s]iie(l two ehaiiiois 

 U'inu" to<i-ethei' on ;i p.ilch of snow, bui loo f;ii- oil" \'i<v a 

 fair shot, and there was no prospect of getting any nearer 

 iiiih'ss they moved. We lav llal oii oiir >toiiiaili> and 

 watched tlieni till we Li'(»t loo cold lo remain aii\' loii'jei'. 

 and it was necossarx' to ti'\' the shot, or set down ;i bl.mk 

 day. My enm[»anion put the distance at three hundred 



