THE MOUNTAINEER 71 



Three members of the party were exhausted, and it seemed folly to risk 

 lives on the glacier in such a storm for the mere bauble of a mountain 

 summit. 



Action was necessary, but it must be a retreat. As disappointing as it 

 was to abandon the ascent there was no other reasonable course to be taken, 

 and alter a tew words of explanation the order was given: "Advance by 

 companies independent!}'. ' ' 



The long line appeared to melt away as the commands were given 

 simultaneously: "Company A, Company B, Company C, Company D, fall in." 

 Four lines were moving forward instantly where had stood, but a moment 

 before, a shivering group of peox^le. The spirit of the party was still splen- 

 did, even in its disappointment, and when the bugler with the general staflt' 

 sounded the retreat, a faint cheer went up. 



The most difficult part of the trip still lay ahead, that of getting a 

 cold, half exhausted party down a mountain safely in a storm such as was 

 then raging. Still moving at almost a double quick with the main party, 

 a small party was ordered from the line and sent on in advance to start 

 fires and prepare for the main party. The girls who were unable to keep 

 up were ordered to the rear with men enough to help them along. Half 

 way down the glacier, two of the general staff went on in advance to place 

 a line up the rock where the party must leave the glacier. 



Through all of this the discipline was perfect. Orders were obeyed 

 as quickly as given; no one seemed to misunderstand and everyone appre- 

 ciated the necessity for haste. When Company A reached the foot of the 

 rock slope the line was in place and, without halting, the party moved 

 along up. Company B followed in the same perfect order and when the 

 two companies were up, the small party of girls, having reached the foot of 

 the slope, were sent up to keep them moving toward camp. The two ad- 

 vance companies were ordered to go to camp without waiting for the others, 

 as the rest of the way was well known and there seemed no possible chance 

 of danger. When the girls, now four in all, reached the top of the slope 

 they were placed under command of one of the lieutenants and also 

 ordered to go to camp. Company C and Companj- D followed as rapidly as 

 l)()ssible and soon the whole party were apparently out of all danger and 

 within but a half mile of the temporary camp. Momentarily loosing their 

 way in the mist the small party turned to the right and attempted to go down 

 a steep draw to the snow-field. Here on the slippery, rain-soaked heather 

 one of the girls. Miss Winona Bailey, lost her footing and in a moment slid 

 and fell over the rocks a hundred feet, until she wedged under the snow at 

 the base of the cliff. That the fall was not fatal seemed miraculous. Dr. 

 Stevens, who was acting as rear guard for Company D. was called forward 

 and was working over the girl within five minutes after she fell. A stretcher 

 Avas hastily improvised from a life line wound around two alpine stocks and 

 as soon as the worst wounds were dressed she was started for camp, half a 

 mile away along the mountain slope. 



The task before the party now was tremendous, that of fitting up a 

 hospital in a driving rain, without even a tent for shelter, and caring for 

 a helpless girl ten miles from the main cam]), Avitli that camp sixty miles in 

 the heart of the mountains. That it was possible to dress wounds as severe 

 as lier's here in the mountains was due to the foresight of Dr. Stevens, who 

 had brought instruments and supplies, and in the meager shelter afforded 

 by a strip of canvas stretched against a rock, was able to dress her wounds 



