Page:My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus.djvu/79

58 and facing even the horrors of that hideous ice slope, with its thin surface of snow already relaxed by the warm rays of the mid-day sun, had it not been for the absolute belief I reposed in certain previous utterances of my brave companion, to the effect that retreat was impossible, and to attempt it certain destruction. Confident in this belief, I thought the best thing to do was to keep up the spirits of the party, to scout the idea of turning back, and to shout "vorwärts," strengthened by such allusions to the supernatural powers, as my limited knowledge of Saas Thal patois would render effective. The aid of other, spirits, called from the "vasty deep" of my pocket, was also invoked, and then the attack was begun.

The ice was too thin to allow steps of such depth to be cut as would enable us to change our feet in them. Burgener therefore adopted the expedient of cutting a continuous ledge along which, by the aid of handholds cut in the ice above, one could just manage to shuffle. This involved an extraordinary amount of labour. One hand had always to be clinging to the hold above, whilst the other wielded the axe. Before the traverse was half completed Burgener had to retreat, both to rest and to rub some warmth and feeling into his left hand, chilled by constantly clinging to the ice. After a short halt he returned to the attack, but another five