BAD GROUND. 



last it seemed as though further progress were next thing to 

 impossible. Ganna now took the lead as we essayed to cross 

 a terribly steep incline at a height of several hundred feet 

 above the raging rock-bound torrent, where the short slip- 

 pery grass that partially covered the almost vertical slope 

 served only to make the footing more precarious. There 

 was no way of turning this place, unless perhaps by making 

 a very long round above. For about 150 yards there was 

 often absolutely nothing between this world and the next 

 but the breadth of less than half a footsole, chipped with 

 the iron-shod point of an alpenstock out of the hard ground, 

 in such places as there happened to be no protruding scraps 

 of rock which might afford better footing. As Puddoo re- 

 marked, "For ourselves it was hazardous enough, but for 

 the laden men it would be positively dangerous." 



On our reaching more practicable ground we waited for 

 the coolies to come up, as my two companions seemed to 

 have misgivings about the lower-range men being able to 

 proceed any farther with their loads. As we expected, 

 when they got to the bad bit they stopped, and called out to 

 us that they objected to crossing it. But Puddoo shouted 

 jeeringly back, taunting them with being no mountain-men, 

 and telling them that if they were afraid to come on they 

 had better go home and fetch their women to help them, 

 and suchlike banter, until they at last agreed to break up 

 their loads and bring the things over a few at a time. I 

 was much relieved iri mind when they all arrived safely at 

 the only possible place we could find near at hand to bivouac 

 on for camping was out of the question which they never 

 would have reached with their loads, had it not been for 

 Puddoo's persuasive powers, and the assistance of the Tolma 

 men who were with them. The spot we had selected was a 

 narrow sloping shelf above the rocky linn, where, by dint of 

 clearing off big stones and scraping away earth, we managed 

 to get just sufficient space for sticking up my little tent, after 

 a fashion, against the face of a high beetling crag, my 



