CH, XXXIV. DANGEROUS SITUATION. 233 



no be a canny night," was the shepherd's answer. 

 Just as we were leaving the bare stones a brace of 

 ptarmigan rose, one of which I knocked down : 

 the bird fell on a part of the snow which sloped 

 downwards towards a nearly perpendicular cliff of 

 great height : the slope of the snow was not very 

 great, so I ran to secure the bird, which was flutter- 

 ing towards the precipice : the shepherd was some 

 little distance behind me, lighting his everlasting 

 pipe ; but when he saw me in pursuit of the ptarmi- 

 gan he shouted at me to stop : not exactly under- 

 standing him, I still ran after the bird, when 

 suddenly I found the snow giving way with me, 

 and sliding "en masse" towards the precipice. 

 There was no time to hesitate, so, springing back 

 with a power that only the emergency of the case 

 could have given me, I struggled upwards again 

 towards my companion. How I managed to escape 

 I cannot tell, but in less time than it takes to write 

 the words I had retraced my steps several yards, 

 making use of my gun as a stick to keep myself 

 fi'om sliding back again towards the edge of the 

 cliff. The shepherd was too much alarmed to 

 move, but stood for a moment speechless ; then, 

 recollecting himself, he rushed forward to help me, 

 holding out his long gun for me to take hold of. 

 For my own part, I had no time to be afraid, and in 



