Singing Cliffs 



tion the danger of it, to work a few feet up a slide, 

 and then feel it start to move. We had to climb in 

 single file, which jeopardized the safety of those 

 behind the leader. Sometimes we were all sliding at 

 once, like boys on a pond, with the difference that 

 we were in danger. Frank forged ahead, turning 

 to yell now and then for us to dodge a cracking stone. 

 Faithful old Jude could not get up in some places, 

 so laying aside my rifle, I carried her, and returned 

 for the weapon. It became necessary, presently, to 

 hide behind cliff projections to escape the avalanches 

 started by Frank, and to wait till he had surmounted 

 the break. Jones gave out completely several times, 

 saying the exertion affected his heart. What with 

 my rifle, my camera and Jude, I could offer him no 

 assistance, and was really in need of that myself. 

 When it seemed as if one more step would kill us, we 

 reached the rim, and fell panting with labored chests 

 and dripping skins. We could not speak. Jones 

 had worn a pair of ordinary shoes without thick 

 soles and nails, and it seemed well to speak of them 

 in the past tense. They were split into ribbons and 

 hung on by the laces. His feet were cut and bruised. 

 On the way back to camp, we encountered Moze 

 and Don coming out of the break where we had 

 started Sounder on the trail. The paws of both 

 hounds were yellow with dust, which proved they 



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