SNOW-BLIND ON MOUNT KENIA 257 



passed on the way up, but I knew this could not 

 happen unless my sight became so poor that 

 I could not follow my tracks back. 



"From time to time I kept testing the crust, 

 now forming rapidly, and about ten o'clock con- 

 sidered it firm enough to support my weight. 



"While my tracks, made in the afternoon, 

 were somewhat obliterated by the melting of the 

 snow, they were still visible. By moving slowly 

 and straining my eyes it was, at first, not diffi- 

 cult to follow them. Every few steps the crust 

 gave way, but it was hard enough to prevent a 

 slide. So, keeping close to the base of the cliff, 

 I finally reached the spot where I had crossed 

 the drift and first struck the rocks. 



"Every minute it was becoming more and 

 more difficult to follow the trail; my eyesight 

 was failing fast. Gradually, I was obliged to 

 lean over farther and farther, until at last I 

 dropped to my knees and crawled along. Even 

 then it was hard to see the tracks, and finally 

 I gave up and began feeling my way along. 



"My hands became numb from cold and my 

 knees ached, so I was forced to stop frequently 

 to warm up and rest. The bank was almost 

 level now, and shortly I began to descend and 



