ON PLAIN AND PEAK 



mountain in the neighbourhood of Mayrhofen. 

 The tourist avowed himself to be an experienced 

 mountaineer, who knew neither fear nor giddiness ; 

 but on coming to a ledge of rock, only some few 

 inches wide, that had to be crossed, old Jorgei 

 insisted on attaching a rope to his waist. Well it 

 was that he did so! 



On one side of the ledge yawned a precipice, 

 hundreds of feet deep ; and on the other, the moun- 

 tain rose straight up in a solid wall of rock. 



The tourist went bravely forward for the first few 

 steps, whilst the guide followed him, rope in hand. 

 After some five yards, however, the tourist turned 

 giddy. Pale and trembling, he leant against the 

 mountain for support, unable to move backwards or 

 forwards. Jorgei vainly urged him either to go on 

 or to turn round ; but the man was perfectly help- 

 less, and seemed to be losing consciousness. 



Planting his foot firmly on the edge of the narrow 

 ledge, and leaning back with all his force against 

 the rock, the guide quietly pushed his charge over 

 the precipice ; then, with one great effort, he swung 

 him back to the safer place they had just left ! 



Jorgei told me this story as if it were a mere 

 everyday occurrence. 



Is there any one who leaves the Tyrol without 

 regret who does not long to return to breathe 

 again its pure clear air to see its snow-clad peaks 



234 



