i88i3 Ascent of the Matter horn 



John. Pession, who had been in mortal fear ever 

 since the accident, was worse than useless for the 

 rest of the day. "You must pardon him," said 

 John; "he has a wife and children in Val Tour- 

 nanche." 



At six o'clock, after hair-breadth incidents, we rhe 

 reached the hut and made Gilbert lie down on the ^''^'^' 

 few armfuls of hay, where he soon went to sleep. 

 John now decided to remain there over night with 

 Victor, Spangler, and myself. We five thus took 

 lodgings 12,256 feet above the sea. The others, 

 not without adventures, made the cabin in safety. 



Our refuge was a sort of stone den six feet wide 

 by ten long and five high on the inner side, crowded 

 on a narrow flat ledge between a protecting pinnacle 

 and a precipice, the only possible place anywhere 

 about. Three coarse blankets, a little bench, a tin 

 bucket, and a basket of shavings comprised the 

 equipment. 



John sent us immediately to bed ^ — ^ one on each A jwny 

 side of Gilbert to keep him warm. But nothing kept ^°"''^ 

 us warm. Our clothes were wet, and my ofi^ side 

 abutted on a frosty rock which carried away heat 

 faster than I could generate it. John and Victor 

 lay on the bare ground. The snow thawed on the 

 roof and little streams of sooty water trickled over 

 our faces. All night long our patient dreamed of 

 climbing mountains. Once he shouted, ''Attention! 

 Attention toujoursf At another time he called out: 

 "Here we will stop walking and take wheelbarrows." 

 At intervals the guides kindled a fire of shavings for 

 a drink of chocolate all around. 



The storm cleared early in the night, and a sharp, 

 cutting cold penetrated our fastness. From time 



C 265 3 



