2o8 The Htmting IVasps 



come from the Paris Jar din des Plant es on 

 purpose to climb the Ventoux in my company, 

 displayed an imperturbable calmness, trusting 

 to my good sense to get us out of our scrape. 

 I drew him a little to one side, in order not to 

 increase the panic of the others, and revealed 

 my terrible fears to him. We held a council of 

 two and tried to make up by the compass of 

 reasoning for the absence of the magnetic 

 needle. 



' When the clouds came,' I asked him, 

 * wasn't it from the south ? ' 



' From the south, certainly.' 



* And, though one could hardly perceive the 

 wind, the rain slanted slightly from south to 

 north ? ' 



' Yes, I noticed that as long as I could see 

 anything. Isn't that enough to tell us the 

 way ? Let us go down on the side from which 

 the rain comes.' 



' I thought of that, but I have my doubts. 

 The wind is not strong enough to have a definite 

 direction. It may be an eddying breeze, as 

 happens on a mountain-top surrounded by 

 clouds. There is nothing to tell me that the 

 direction is still the same and that the wind is 

 not now blowing from the north.' 



' I have my doubts also. Then what shall 

 we do ? ' 



