The Sierra Nevada 309 
ships deterred us from repeating the experiment. ‘These initial 
campaigns were too early in the season (March and April). 
The only birds seen were choughs and ravens; ring-ouzels 
lower down. There were plenty of trout, though small, in the 
hill-burns. On one occasion a circular rainbow across a deep 
gorge perfectly reflected in the centre our own figures on passing 
a given point. The ice-going abilities of the mountaineers were 
marvellous—incredible save to an eye-witness. Across even a 
north-drift, hard and “‘slape as steel and hundreds of yards in 
extent, these men would steer a sliding, slithering course at top 
speed, directed towards some single projecting rock. To miss 
that refuge might mean death; but they did not miss it, ever, in 
their perilous course, making good a certain amount of forward 
movement. At that rock they would settle in their minds the 
next point to be reached, quietly smoking a cigarette meanwhile. 
How such performances diminish one’s self-esteem! How weak 
are our efforts! Even on the softer southern drifts, what 
balancing, what scrambling and crawling on hands and knees are 
necessary, and what a “cropper” one would have come but for 
the friendly arm of Enrique, who, as he arrests one’s perilous 
slide, merely mutters, ‘‘ Ave Maria purissima !” 
Now we have left the ice and snow and the ibex to wander 
in peace over their lonely domains. To-night we have dined at 
a table; there is a cheery fire in the rude posada and merry 
voices, contrasting with the silence of our cave, where no one 
spoke above a whisper, and where no fire was permissible save 
once a day to heat the olla. Now all we need is a song from the 
Murillo-faced little girl who is fanning the charcoal embers. 
“Sing us a couplet, Doléres, to welcome us back from the snows 
of Alpuxarras!” 
Doléres. “With the greatest pleasure, Caballero, if José 
will play the guitar. No one plays like José, but he is tired, 
having travelled all day with his mules from Lanjarén.” 
José. “No, seifior, not tired, but I have no soul to-night to 
play. This morning they asked me to bring medicine from the 
town for Carmen, but when IJ reached the house she was dead. 
I find myself very sad.” 
Doléres. ‘Pero, si ya tiene su palma y su corona?” 
=but as she already has her palm and her crown ? 
