actually be persuaded to try again? But so it was. At first the
fright (for I was really terrified) used to make me very cross, and
I declared that I was severely hurt, if not "kilt entirely;" but
after I had shaken the snow out of my linsey skirt, and discovered
that beyond the damage to my nerves I was uninjured, F--- was quite
sure to try to persuade me to make another attempt, and I was
equally sure to yield to the temptation. As well as my memory
serves me, we only made one really successful journey, and that was
on an occasion when we kept the breaks down the whole way. But I
never could insure similar precautions being taken again, and we
consequently experienced every variety of mishaps possible to sledge
travellers. I persevered however for some days until the
north-westerly wind, which was blowing softly all the time, began to
lay bare the sharpest points of the rocks, and then I gave in at
once, and would not be a "passenger" any more. It was rather too
much to strike one's head against a jagged fragment of rock, or to
dislocate one's thumb against a concealed stump of a palm tree. Then
the sharp points of the Spaniards began to stick up through the
softening snow, and nothing would induce me to run the risk of
touching their green bayonets. Besides which, the fast-thawing snow
made it very difficult to climb up to the top of our hill, for the
carefully-cut steps had disappeared long ago. So I gave up sledge
journeys on my own account, and used only to look at F--- and
Mr. U--- taking them.

These two persevered so long as an inch of snow remained on the
hill-side. Some of their adventures were very alarming, and
certainly rather dangerous. One afternoon I had been watching them
for more than an hour, and had seen them go through every variety of
disaster, and capsize with no further effect than increasing their