UP THE MIESING. 67 



deavours to do so, with help of my heels or my hands, 

 were ineffectual. But I remembered the advice my 

 friend Kobell had once given me : " Should you ever 

 be unlucky enough to slip when upon a lahne, turn 

 round so as to get on your stomach as quickly as 

 possible, or else you are lost." While shooting down- 

 wards therefore I turned, and grasping my stick, 

 which was well shod with an iron point, I dashed it 

 with all my force into the ground. It stuck fast ; I 

 held on by it, and was stopped in my career. While 

 gliding down, my eyes were turned upwards to Berger. 

 I saw fright expressed on his countenance : our eyes 

 met, but neither uttered a word. Only when I had ar- 

 rested my further progress, and was cautiously pre- 

 paring to find a sure footing, he called out, " It was 

 lucky you were able to stop for heaven's sake be 

 careful, it is dreadfully slippery." At last, by making a 

 zigzag line, we reached the top of the lahne. Here 

 were rocks by which we could hold, and getting amongst 

 them came to a perpendicular wall about seven feet 

 high. Its face was as straight as a plummet-line, but 

 it was rough, so that some crevices were to be found 

 which might serve as steps in passing over it. At 

 its base was a small ledge, on which one person 

 could stand, holding on with his own face and the 

 face of the rock close against each other, and behind, 

 below, was what was not quite pleasant to think 

 about. Berger got over first, having previously with 

 one hand laid his rifle and pole on a ledge of rock 

 above him to have both hands free. Handing up my 



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