The Hunting Wasps 



up for the lack of vision. Our companions 

 had but little faith in this style of recon- 

 noitring. They spoke of continuing the 

 furious descent, of going back, if necessary, 

 all the way to Bedoin. Verlot, more trustful 

 of the botanical insight with which he himself 

 was so richly endowed, joined me in pursuing 

 our search, in reassuring the more demoral- 

 ized and in showing them that it was possible, 

 by questioning the plants with our hands, to 

 reach our night's lodging in spite of the dark- 

 ness. They gave way to our arguments; 

 and, not long after, pressing on from one 

 clump of nettles to another, our party arrived 

 at the Jas. 



There we found Delacour, as well as the 

 guide with our luggage, sheltered betimes 

 from the rain. A blazing fire and a change 

 of clothes soon restored our wonted cheerful- 

 ness. A block of snow, brought from the 

 valley near by, was hung in a bag in front of 

 the hearth. A bottle caught the water as the 

 snow melted: this was the cistern for our 

 evening meal. And the night was spent on 

 a bed of beech-leaves, rubbed into powder by 

 our predecessors; and they were numerous. 

 Who knows how many years had passed since 

 228 



