Page:Boy scouts in the White Mountains; the story of a long hike (IA boyscoutsinwhite00eato).pdf/254

 back almost directly at right angles, toward the northwest, where the cone of Washington was, though it could not be seen. The path now ascended again, rather rapidly, and the Scouts puffed along behind the tall man and his stout companion, who walked just about as fast up-hill as they did down.

"Say!" called Peanut, "is there a fire in the ravine?"

The tall man laughed. "Sure," he said. "Four alarms!"

A mile or more of climbing brought them into the ravine. It was not so large as Tuckerman's, and it had no lake embosomed in its rocky depths, but in some ways it was an even wilder and more impressive spot. On the right, to the east, the cliff wall rose up much steeper than in Tuckerman's, to Nelson's Crag. On the west, also, the wall was almost perpendicular, while the jagged and uneven head wall, which did not form the beautiful amphitheatre curve of Tuckerman's head wall, and had no snow arch at its base, looked far harder to climb.

"Wow!" said Peanut. "You win. I don't want to climb here."

"Why, it's easy. You can climb where other folks have," said the stout man, with a wink. "Folks have climbed all three of these cliffs."

"That one to the left?" asked Peanut.

"Sure," said the man.