FOG COMES WHEN WE EXPECT TO SIGHT RAMS 41

beloved by sheep, had sprung up, and in all such spots
there was abundant evidence that rams had been there
not many days previously. But, alas for our hopes!
the mist had now settled right down into the basin, and
by the time we reached the divide it was impossible to
see even fifty yards. All we could make out was that
there was some sort of a precipice in front of us, but that
its extent, both down and to either side, was beyond our
range of vision.

The chance of its clearing up was very small, our disgust
was intense, and Jack voiced his opinion of the weather
in no uncertain terms. That there were rams in very
close proximity was beyond doubt; that they were even
close enough for us to see them if the fog lifted we both
felt confident. But the elements were against us, and it
was useless trying to do anything more, so we sat down
and shivered in the raw, cold air; a patch of snow, that
was about twenty yards distant, not making it any warmer.
The long hill climb we had made, which had been taken
at a rapid pace, had made us hot, so it was not long before
we began to get numb with cold, and not daring even to
stamp our feet or warm ourselves in any way, we were
soon half frozen. Several times I decided I had had all
I wanted and was on the point of giving it up for the day,
but each time the mist rose a little and I lingered on.
At last we decided to eat our lunch, which we had taken
care to bring, and then, if the situation did not show a
great improvement, to return to camp.

Well, our lunch was eaten and I was endeavouring with
numbed hands to light my pipe preparatory to returning,
when Jack whispered to me to get out my glasses as it
was clearing. Sure enough it was, and almost before I
had time to get them out and wipe the damp off them,
the fog had lifted enough for us to get a clear view of the
country beneath us.

Then a most extraordinary thing happened. We had
a big piece of hillside to examine, large enough to take
the two of us a long time to spy over thoroughly, and yet
our glasses were hardly to our eyes before we both gave

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