OLD ALPINE JOTTINGS. 443 



mended them,' he said, <to take a guide, but they 

 would not heed me, and now they are lost.' ' But they 

 must be found,' I rejoined; 'at all events they must 

 be sought. What force have you at hand?' Three 

 active young fellows came immediately forward. Two 

 of them I sent across the mountain by the usual route 

 to the Margelin See, and the third I took with myself 

 along the watercourse of the ^Eggischhorn. After 

 some walking we dipped into a little dell, where the 

 glucking of cowbells announced the existence of chalets. 

 The party had been seen passing there in the morning, 

 but not returning. The embankment of the water- 

 course fell at some places vertically for twenty or thirty 

 feet. Here I thought an awkward slip might have 

 occurred, and, to meet the possibility of having to carry 

 a wounded man, I took an additional lithe young fellow 

 from the chalet. We shouted as we went along, but 

 the echoes were our only response. Our pace was 

 rapid, and in the dubious light false steps were frequent. 

 We all at intervals mistook the grey water for the grey 

 and narrow track beside it, and stepped into the stream. 

 We proposed ascending to the chalets of Margelin, but 

 previous to quitting the watercourse we halted, and 

 directing our voices down hill, shouted a last shout. 

 And faintly up the mountain came a sound which could 

 not be an echo. We all heard it, though it could 

 hardly be detached from the murmur of the adjacent 

 stream. We went rapidly down the alp, and after a 

 little time shouted again. More audible than before, 

 but still very faint, came the answer from below. We 

 continued at a headlong pace, and soon assured our- 

 selves that the sound was not only that of a human 

 voice, but of an English voice. 1 Thus stimulated, we 



1 We were, however, nearly thrown off the scent by & lady of 

 the party cooing in Australian fashion 



29 



