56 PTARMIGAN. 



take place till nightfall, although an ominous-looking cloud concealed the upper part of 

 the mountain, I went on with all confidence. 



Our object was to reach a certain shoulder of the hill, not far from the summit, from 

 which the snow had drifted when it first fell, leaving a tolerably-sized tract of bare 

 stones, where we expected to find the Ptarmigans basking in the bright winter sun. It 

 was certainly hard work, and we felt little of the cold, as we laboured up the steep 

 hill. Perseverance meets with its reward; and we did at last reach the desired spot, 

 and almost immediately found a considerable pack of Ptarmigans, of which we managed 

 to kill four brace before they finally took their flight round a distant shoulder of the 

 hill, where it was impossible to follow them. An Eagle dashed down at the flock of 

 birds as they were just going out of our sight, but, as we saw him rise upwards again 

 empty-handed, he must have missed his aim. By this time it was near mid-day, and 

 the clouds were gathering on the mountain top, and gradually approaching us. We had 

 taken little note of the weather during our pursuit of the birds, but it was now forced 

 on our attention by a keen blast of wind which suddenly swept along the shoulder of 

 the mountain, here and there lifting up the dry snow in clouds. "We must make our 

 way homewards at once," said I. "Deed ay! it will no be a canny night," was the 

 shepherd's answer. Just as we were leaving the bare stones, a brace of Ptarmigans 

 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 fluttering towards the 

 precipice: the shepherd was some little distance behind me, lighting his everlasting pipe ; 

 but when he saw me in pursuit of the Ptarmigan, he shouted at me to stop : not exactly 

 understanding him, I still ran after the bird, when suddenly I found the snow giving 

 way with me, and sliding 'en masse' toward 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 from 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 a few moments was on 'terra firma,' while a vast mass of snow 

 which I had set in motion rolled like an avalanche over the precipice, carrying with it 

 the unfortunate Ptarmigan. 



I cannot describe my sensations on seeing the danger which I had so narrowly escaped : 

 however, no time was to be lost, and we descended the mountain at a far quicker rate 

 than we had gone up it. The wind rose rapidly, moaning mournfully through the passes 



