AN ASCENT OF MOUNT RAINIER 



The descent was accomplished without dis 

 aster, though several of the party had narrow 

 escapes. One slipped and fell, and as he shot 

 past me seemed to be going to certain death. 

 So steep was the ice-slope no one could move 

 to help him, but fortunately, keeping his pres 

 ence of mind, he threw himself on his face 

 and digging his alpenstock into the ice, grad 

 ually retarded his motion until he came to 

 rest. Another broke through a slim bridge 

 over a crevasse, but his momentum at the 

 time carried him against the lower edge and 

 only his alpenstock was lost in the abyss. 

 Thus crippled by the loss of his staff, we had 

 to lower him the rest of the way down the 

 dome by means of the rope we carried. Fall 

 ing rocks from the upper precipitous part of 

 the ridge were also a source of danger, as they 

 came whizzing past in successive volleys; but 

 none told on us, and when we at length gained 

 the gentle slopes of the lower ice-fields, we ran 

 and slid at our ease, making fast, glad time, 

 all care and danger past, and arrived at our 

 beloved Cloud Camp before sundown. 



We were rather weak from want of nourish 

 ment, and some suffered from sunburn, not 

 withstanding the partial protection of glasses 

 and veils; otherwise, all were unscathed and 

 well. The view we enjoyed from the summit 



269 



