After that the crystals are the ordinary, small,
six-armed "stars" which bunch together into flakes. But
if the snowfall is very slight, the moisture content of
the lower air sometimes is not exhausted before it stops;
those large crystals remain at the surface and are not
buried out of sight by the later fall. These large,
coarse, slablike crystals reflect as well as refract the
light of the sun. There is not merely the sparkle and
glitter, but also the colour play. Facing north, you see
only glittering points of white light; but, facing the
sun, you see every colour of the rainbow, and you see it
with that coquettish, sudden flash which snow shares only
with the most precious of stones.
Through such a landscape covered with the thinnest possible
sheet of the white glitter we sped. A few times, in
heavier snow, the horses were inclined to fall into a
walk; but a touch of the whip sent them into line again.
I began to view the whole situation more quietly.
Considering that we had forty-five miles to go, we were
doing very well indeed. We made Bell's corner in forty
minutes, and still I was saving the horses' strength.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203