"She'll pit them in watter when she gets back," he said. "Hey! but it does her hairt good to rin amang the floores again." Their party was well on ahead, and they trudged after them together along the valley, with the mountains running steeply up on either side, in places up and away to where the dull green moss and tufty growths gave way to bare patches of stones, and still up and up to where the loose stones were succeeded by rock sheathed and netted with snow. Just above this was the eternal, glittering ice, dazzling in the soft glow of the sun, whose light looked cold and calm, and gave the wondrous landscape a saddened aspect; for, in spite of its beauty and the variety of tint of the mountain-side, Steve felt that there was a something mournful about the valley, though why he could not explain. It was singular, but every step impressed his more thoughtful companions on ahead that this was no haunt for human beings; and as they tramped on, following the windings of the valley, the impression grew stronger and stronger that theirs were the first, possibly might prove to be the last, human feet that had ever traversed this stony desert. "She dinna see nae heather," said Watty suddenly, "an' she dinna see nae bluebell; but it's verra bonnie oot here, Meester Steve. Will ta captain be gaen far awa?" "Oh yes, a long way yet, Watty. We've got to shoot some deer to take back." "Eh? Shoot the deer an' tak' back! But she'll be hungry sune, and when she's shot a teer she'll mak' a fire and roast her. For she's a fine, gude cook now, and wad like to stay ashore now and build a hoose and shoot and hunt. Wait a wee, and she'll mak' a bonnie fire." "What of?" said Steve, laughing. "We haven't shot our deer yet; and if we had, there's no wood here." "Thenk o' tat," said Watty, cocking his bonnet on one side to give his head a scratch. "Nae wud! She's nane sae fine a countrie as bonnie Scotland, then. Nae wud!" he continued, looking round. "But she'll find a forest over yonder?" "No, there are no trees here." "Then she'll mak' a fire o' peat. She'll find plenty o' turves doon alangside o' ta bilberries." "Yes, you may find turf, and perhaps coal; but we shall see." They had to hurry a little to overtake the party, and this was soon made easier from their halting about a mile farther inland, where the captain was gazing up the stony slope of the mountain to their left. Steve looked up, expecting to see some particular plant or perhaps bird; but he was soon undeceived by the doctor handing his rifle to Andrew and climbing up a little way to kick off some masses of something and throw them down. "What has he found, Captain Marsham?" said Steve; "gold?"