KRISH NULLAH 79 



face, with his toes, knees, elbows, and stick 

 all stuck hard into the ground ; evidently 

 having slipped. He lay like this a second, 

 then my hair rose on end as he gradually 

 began to slide, slowly at first, then quicker, 

 his track, which lay along the ridge in the 

 beginning, gradually curving towards the 

 steep slope to the left, on, on he went, 

 the pace getting faster and faster, until a 

 cry broke from my men, " Lassoo 's gone ! " 

 He threw an agonized glance up towards 

 me. Poor old Lassoo, he knew he had 

 little or no hope; to hurry to his help 

 was impossible, and he knew it. On he 

 went, still doing all he could to check his 

 speed, but in vain ; five yards more and he 

 would be over the edge, and then. . . . 

 I shut my eyes to keep out the horrible 

 sight that must follow ; a second later, I 

 opened them again, and found that he had 

 stopped, What he had stopped against we 

 could not see, because of the snow ; but 

 just as he had reached the very edge his 

 foot had come up against a rock under the 



