XXVI A MISTY EVENING 239 



crossed, though none of my " chase." I at length passed the 

 slope, and soon topped the ridge, and was repaid for my labour 

 by a view so beautiful, that I sat down to gaze at it, though 

 anxious to get forward. Looking down into the valley before 

 me, the foreground was a confusion of rocks of most fantastic 

 shape, shelving rapidly to the edge of a small blue lake, the 

 opposite shore of which was a beach of white pebbles, and 

 beyond, a stretch of the greenest pasture, dotted with drooping 

 white-stemmed birches. This little level was hemmed in on 

 all sides by mountains, ridge above ridge, the lowest closely 

 covered with purple heath, the next more green and broken 

 by ravines, and the highest ending in sharp serrated peaks 

 tipped with snow. Nothing moved within range of my vision, 

 and nothing was to be seen that bespoke life but a solitary heron 

 standing on one leg in the shallow water at the upper end of 

 the lake. From hence I took in a good range, but could see 

 no deer. While I lay above the lake, the day suddenly changed, 

 and heavy wreaths of mist came down the mountain -sides in 

 rapid succession. They reached me soon, and I was enclosed 

 in an atmosphere through which I could not see twenty yards. 

 It was very cold, too, and I was obliged to move, though scarcely 

 well knowing whither. I followed the course of the lake, and 

 afterwards of the stream which flowed from it, for some time. 

 Now and then a grouse would rise close to me, and, flying a 

 few yards, alight again on a hillock, crowing and croaking at 

 the intruder. The heron, in the darkness, came flapping his 

 great wings close past me ; I almost fancied I could feel the 

 movement they caused in the air. Nothing could be done 

 in such weather, and I was not sure that I might not be going 

 away from my object. It was getting late too, and I made 

 up my mind that my most prudent plan was to arrange a 

 bivouac before it became quite dark. My wallet was empty, 

 except a few crumbs, the remains of my morning's baking. 

 It was necessary to provide food : and just as the necessity 

 occurred to me, I heard, through the mist, the call of a cock 

 grouse as he alighted close to me. I contrived to get his head 

 between me and the sky as he was strutting and croaking on 

 a hillock close at hand ; and aiming at where his body ought 

 to be, I iired my rifle. On going up to the place, I found I 

 had not only killed him, but also his mate, whom I had not 



