XI.] DANGERS OF THE DESCENT. 161 the other end of the rope we hung it on to a crag, and with its help scrambled down fifty feet to another firm foothold. A smart chuck brought the end of the rope free, and hitching it on again, we reached with its help the more secure portion of the ridge, and felt once more happy for all danger was past. It took us some minutes to reach the place where we had deposited a few biscuits and a little beef in a tin, and then hurrying on we regained the summit of the col at 6.30 P.M. As we crept down the rocks towards the snow-filled couloir, we could not resist pausing to admire the marvellously beautiful sunset glow, which had flushed the whole range of the Rockies with bright carmine; while the nearer peaks and glaciers glowed with deep crimson. Never before or since have I seen such intense evening tints. Night, however, was close at hand, so on reaching the snow we glissaded, and ran downwards. Crevasses then forced us on to the moraine. Instead of following our course of the morning we determined to keep to the left side of the glacier and torrent, and take chance for the difficulties, but it was obviously shorter. Running and leaping from boulder to boulder, wading streams, taking a straight line through everything, and making many a stumble amongst falling stones, we found ourselves at last, with much-bruised shins, but fortunately without a sprained ankle or broken limb, at the margin of the forest. It was now twilight, and this side of the valley M was unknown to us, SO as closely as possible we followed the course of the streams. When it plunged down in a waterfall, we slung ourselves downwards through fern and alder bushes by its side. Ere we reached the ravine where the river was arched over with snow, night was upon us; but we had fixed a pole in the snow at the point where we left the forest, as a guide for us where to enter it on our return. The sky was overcast, and so dark was it now, that only by groping along did we find the pole; and, leaving the river bed, we entered the alder scrub in pitchy darkness. It had been bad enough in the light, but now in the dark it was simply heartbreaking. Never could one be sure of a footing on the slippery stems, and a fall every now and then nearly shook the life out of us. We hoped that we might not tread, by accident, on the tail of a grizzly, but took comfort at the thought of their deficiency in such appendages. We steered our course by the sound of the torrent, and by looking backwards at a certain peak which showed clear against a patch of sky. we were in the high pine forest, feeling with our axes for fallen logs, and fending off branches from our eyes. Once or twice we almost despaired of getting through, and thought of sitting on a log until morning. We could see nothing whatever, in fact I kept my eyes shut most of the time, and only now and then glanced over my shoulder to see was the sky visible and the Then XI.] AT LAST! 163 peak we were steering by. In the high woods there was soon no use in looking out for the latter, so we steered solely by the sound of the torrent. At last a white line was recognizable in the valley ahead, which we knew was a heap of boulders near our camp, and "Be the day weary Or be the day long, At length it ringeth to evensong." 11 P.M. found us round a blazing fire, sipping chocolate and picking the bones of a marmot. long and successful day came to its close. And so our |