PTARMIGAN. 57 



of the mountain, and frequently carrying with it dense showers of snow. The thickest 

 of these showers, however, fell above where we were, and the wind still came from 

 behind us, though gradually veering round in a manner which plainly showed us that 

 it would be right ahead before we reached home. Every moment brought us lower, and 

 we went merrily on, though with certain anxious glances occasionally to windward. 

 Nor was our alarm unfounded, for just as we turned an angle of the mountain, which 

 brought us within view of the shepherd's house perched on the opposite hill side, with 

 a good hour's walk and the river between us and it, we were met by a blast of wind 

 and a shower of snow, half drifting and half falling from the clouds, which took away 

 our breath, aud nearly blew us both backwards, shutting out the view of everything ten 

 yards from our faces. 



We stopped and looked at each other. "This is geyan sharp," said the shepherd, 

 ■'but we mustn't lose a moment's time, or we shall be smothered in the drift; so come 

 on, Sir:" and on we went. Bad as it was, we did not dare to stop for its abating, 

 and having fortunately seen the cottage for a moment, we knew that our course for the 

 present lay straight doAvn the mountain. After struggling on for some time, we came 

 to a part of the ground which rather puzzled us, as instead of being a steep slope it 

 was perfectly flat; a break, however, in the storm allowed us to see for a moment some 

 of the birch trees on the opposite side of the river, which we judged were not far from 

 our destination. The river itself we could not see, but the glimpse we had caught of 

 the trees guided us for another start, and we went onwards as rapidly as we could, 

 until the storm again closed around us, with such violence that we could scarcely stand 

 upright against it. We began now at times to hear the river, and we made straight 

 for the sound, knowing that it must be crossed before we could reach home, and hoping 

 to recognise some bend or rock in it which would guide us on our way. 



At last we came to the flat valley through which the stream ran, but here the drift 

 was tremendous, and it was with the utmost difficultv that we got to the water's edge. 

 When there we were fairly puzzled by the changed aspect of everything, but suddenly 

 the evening became lighter, and the drifting snow was not quite so dense. "V\ e saw 

 that we should soon be able to ascertain where we were, so we halted for a minute or 

 two, stamping about to keep ourselves from freezing. My poor dog immediately crouched 

 at our feet, and curling himself up laid down; in a few moments he was nearly covered 

 with the snow : but the storm was evidently ceasing, at any rate for a short time, and 

 very soon a small bit of blue sky appeared overhead, but in a moment it was again 

 concealed by the flying shower. The next time, however, that the blue sky appeared, 

 it was for a longer period, and the snow entirely ceased, allowing us to see our exact 

 position; indeed we were very nearly opposite the house, and within half-a-mile of it. 

 The river had to be crossed, and it was impossible to find the stepping-stones; but no 



