they were
"slap-up, tossed-off-to-the-nines" snow-shoes!

In this guise, then, we departed on our ramble. The sun shone brightly
in the cold blue sky, giving a warm appearance to the scene, although no
sensible warmth proceeded from it, so cold was the air. Countless
millions of icy particles covered every bush and tree, glittering
tremulously in its rays like diamonds--psha! that hackneyed simile:
diamonds of the purest water never shone like these evanescent little
gems of nature. The air was biting cold, obliging us to walk briskly
along to keep our blood in circulation; and the breath flew thick and
white from our mouths and nostrils, like clouds of steam, and,
condensing on our hair and the breasts of our coats, gave us the
appearance of being powdered with fine snow. Crusty's red countenance
assumed a redder hue by contrast, and he cut a very comical figure when
his bushy whiskers changed from their natural auburn hue to a pure
white, under the influence of this icy covering. The skipper, who all
this while had been floundering slowly among the deep snow, through
which his short legs were but ill calculated to carry him, suddenly
wheeled round, and presented to our view the phenomenon of a very red,
warm face, and an extremely livid cold nose thereunto affixed. We
instantly apprised him of the fact that his nose was frozen, which he
would scarcely believe for some time; however, he was soon convinced,
and after a few minutes' hard rubbing it was restored to its usual
temperature.

We had hitherto been walking through the thick woods near the river's
bank; but finding no white partridges there, we stretched out into the
frozen swamps, which now presented large fields and plains of compact
snow, studded here and there with clumps and thickets of willows. Among
these we soon discovered fresh tracks of birds in the snow, whereat the
skipper became excited (the sport being quite new to him), and expressed
his belief, in a hoarse whisper, that they were not far off. He even
went the length of endeavouring to walk on tiptoe, but being unable,
from the weight of his snow-shoes, to accomplish this, he only tripped
himself, and falling with a stunning crash through a large dried-up
bush, buried his head, shoulders, and gun in the snow. Whir-r-r! went
the alarmed birds--crack! bang! went Crusty's gun, and down came two
partridges; while the unfortunate skipper, scarce taking time to clear
his eyes from snow, in hi