Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 278 (Color Image)

0278	Among the Celestials : vol.1

232 AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. IX.

is when exposed to severe frosts, and once I

heard a shout from above, as a huge piece of

rock which had been detached came crashing

past me, and as nearly as possible hit two of

the men who had already got half-way down.

We reached the bottom of the cliff without

accident, and then found ourselves at the head

of a long ice-slope extending down to the

glacier below. Protruding through the ice

were three pieces of rock, which would serve

us as successive halting-places, and we deter-

mined upon taking a line which led by them.

We had brought with us every scrap of rope

that could be spared from the ponies' gear, and

we tied these and all the men's turbans and

waist-clothes together into one long rope, by

which we let a man down the ice-slope on to

the first projecting rock. As he went down he

cut steps, and when he had reached the rock

we tied the upper end of the rope firmly on to

a rock above, and then one by one we came

down the slope, hanging on to the rope and

making use of the steps which had been cut.

This was, therefore, a comparatively easy part

of the descent ; but one man was as nearly as

possible lost. He slipped, fell over on his back,

— a ~~,~a+~ ;:,ra;~n,,,,~

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