on a dark night to
distinguish tracks on the hard snow of a lake, as I've sometimes found
to my cost."

We set up several other coveys of ptarmigan as we traversed the belt of
willows lying between the lake and the woods, and when we entered the
latter, several grouse, of a species that takes to trees, fluttered away
from us; but we did not molest them, having already more than we could
consume swinging at our belts.

We went straight up the valley to what we deemed the most sequestered
part of it, and then paused.

"This looks somewhat like the spot, doesn't it?" said Lumley, glancing
round. "Yonder is a cliff with rocks at the base of it."

"Yes, but too many rocks," said I; "the paper mentions only one;
besides, it refers to a stunted pine, and I see nothing of that sort
here."

"True, it must be higher up the valley. Come along."

On we plodded, hour after hour, halting often, and examining with care
many a secluded spot that seemed to answer, more or less, the
description of the spot for which we searched, but all in vain. Sunset
found us as far from our object as ever, and as hungry as hawks.
Darkness of course put an end to the search, and, with a feeling of
disappointment and weariness that I had not experienced since arriving
in that region, I set to work to fell and cut up a tree for fire wood,
while Lumley shovelled a hole in the snow at the foot of a pine, and
otherwise prepared our encampment.

But youth is remarkably elastic in spirit! No sooner was the fire
crackling, the kettle singing, and the delicious odour of roasted
ptarmigan tickling our nostrils, than disappointment gave way to hope
and weariness to jollity.

"Come, we shall have at it again to-morrow," said Lumley.

"So we shall," said I--"mind that kettle. You have an unfortunate
capacity for kicking things over."

"One of the disadvantages of long legs, Max. They're always in the way.
Get out the biscuit now. My ptarmigan is ready. At least, if it
isn't, I can't wait."

"Neither can I, Jack. I sometimes wish that it were natural to us to
eat things raw. It would be so very convenient and save sh---a--lot--
of--time."

Hunger and a wrenched-off drumstick checked further utterance!

That night we lay in our snow camp, gazing up at the stars, with our
feet to the fire, talking of gold and diamonds with all the eagerness of
veritable misers--though it is but justice to myself to add that Eve's
blue eyes outshone, in my