At St. Mary's 



their resting-places for the night. One by 

 one they curled themselves in their cosey 

 beds, made soft by their own thick coats 

 of hair. What would I not give to have 

 been there in person, to have watched and 

 studied them in the morning, and — and 

 — my mind suddenly dropping me down 

 to earth — to know just where they were 

 at this instant. 



As we began to near the line of the 

 ridge we recognized the necessity of ex- 

 treme care in picking our way, lest the 

 sound of our footfalls in the loose shale 

 should be heard. We were making great 

 efforts to tread noiselessly ; and we were 

 constantly reminded that our attempts were 

 a signal failure by hearing the disturbed 

 pieces of rock rolling from under our feet, 

 down, down, hundreds of yards below. 

 One of these little demons would start on 

 its downward course, — the one of us that 

 had started it always receiving a withering 

 look from the other, — and, rolling at first 

 slowly and smoothly, then bounding with 

 a gentle tink-tinkle from one point to 

 another, it would speed on, gathering im- 

 petus in its flight, and, like a bad boy on 

 a lark, picking up many companions as it 

 went, until finally the flight of this one 

 little stone would become a mad rush of 



275 



