66 SHOET STALKS 



my foot striking heavily against a rock at the bottom. 

 I felt that I hnd received a very severe blow, but it did 

 not bring me down, and I still ran on, but at last was 

 brought to a standstill by the sharp pain in my foot, and 

 lookino- down, I found a cut extendinsf literallv from the 

 toe to the heel of the boot, as clean as if it had l;)een done 

 with a razor, and the blood streaming from it. Fortu- 

 nately for me this happened on the watershed, between 

 Italy and the Engadine. With some difficulty, after 

 binding up the foot with handkerchiefs, I was able to 

 hobl)le do\\'n to a path and send for a horse. It was 

 nearly two months before I could use the foot properly, 

 and though it is eighteen years since, I still carry the 

 scar. 



AVhile I am upon the chapter of accidents, I may 

 mention an adventure which befell me some thirty years 

 ao'o in this neii>hbourhood, though it had nothino' to do 

 with chamois huntino;. We had made a successful first 

 ascent of one of the }»eaks of the Bei'nina Range, and were 

 returning down its northern slopes, which afford a grand 

 series of glissades. There was a hot south wind blowing, 

 and the snow was exceptionally soft and wet, so that only 

 the steepest slopes gave sufficient impetus. One, of the 

 necessary pitch, was soon found. As we careered down 

 the slope, a cushion of snow was raised under our knees 

 and in front of our feet, and this gradually extended till 

 we were carrying along with us quite a considerable 

 avalanche, of the consistency of a bran mash, which 

 surged round us up to our waists, but instantly solidified 

 when we came to a halt. 



One of our guides was in the habit of carrying a large 



