52 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



which was too wide to step across and offered no little 

 ledge on which I could rest my foot. Half-way there 

 was one small ledge just as high as I could reach above 

 me, and another as far as I could reach with my Alpen- 

 stock below me. I saw these were my only chances, 

 and that the sooner I tried it the better ; so leaning 

 down I placed the point of my pole firmly on the 

 ledge, leaning all my weight on it to try it ; it seemed 

 firm as iron. I then stretched my left hand above me 

 and caught the top ledge. I tried it with the same 

 result ; it was as firm as iron. All now depended on 

 myself; propped up by my right hand and pole, and 

 held by my left, I had to swing my legs across the smooth 

 slab on to a small, strong ledge on the far side ; it was 

 a trying moment. Had the pole broken I must have 

 gone with a ' whiz ' on to the rocks, some 450 feet 

 below me. The pole, however, did nothing so un- 

 pleasant ; it merely bent, causing a very unpleasant 

 feeling as I lit safely on the aforesaid ledge, which 

 position I nearly lost as soon as I had gained it, and 

 in the effort to sustain my equilibrium, nearly dropped 

 the pole ; they happily were all ' nearlies.' The rest of 

 the climb to the top was comparatively easy, very 

 steep, but good ledges projected here and there, giving 

 me capital hold and footing ; with the help of these 

 c luxuries ' I reached the top of the ridge. I have 

 called it a ridge as yet, and I have done right ; it 

 certainly is and always was, I suppose, a ridge ; so 

 narrow was it that, exhausted as I felt, I had to clasp 

 it firmly with my legs and lie flat on my face ; I took 

 a mouthful or two of port, and after getting a little 

 rested, took out my glasses to examine as usual. I 

 found that the knife-like ridge I was on ran towards 

 the Vaugan, but was cut off from it by a ravine similar 

 to the one I had seen the day before ; these ravines are 



