TlIK IZZAIII) 353 



T will not woarv tho roador witli aiiytliiiiu- lik<> a 

 connecteil account of my izzarcl liuiit> «>!' wliidi I have 

 enjoyed many since that, or I sIkhiM run llic ri>k df 

 repeating nmcli of wliat 1 have said in the chaiitd' on 

 clianii)is, l)ut a few selections from my iidtcs will serve 

 to uive sonir idea of the spoil. 



1 lliink I lie followiiiL:; was one oi" the most varied ami 

 interest iiiu'. as well as successful days that I ever had. 

 ()ur parlN' of llnvc Irj'i oui- hcadcjuarters at 4 a.m.. and. 

 appointing a rendcz\ous at the little handet (•!' iMiudiero, 

 invaded Spain hy three diti'crent routes, wlnle our luggage 

 followed a fourth — the ordinary mule path. .My course 

 lay tlirougli the " Rreehe," the curious square luche 

 in the crcsi of the rid"e which is visil)le for so man\- 

 leagues, both on the French and Spanish side. 'i'o 

 reach it one marches straio-ht at tht" wall of the 

 Cirque, whence, to the uninitiated, there seems no exit; 

 hut across the rio-ht-haiid part of the clitf there is 

 a narrow diagonal le(lge which is almost invisihle trom 

 hejow, hut uji which there is in reality a famous natural 

 staircase, very steep, hut perfectly easy. After three 

 houi's of stead\' cland)erinu, and when we had L^'ot iicarK' 

 within sight of the Breclie, four izzards appearetl conung 

 from it across the snow-fiidd. For a long time \ve watched 

 iheiii. lill the\' la\' down. ;ind we hegaii the stalk'. AVe 

 had to nio\c iiniong some rocks wlndi wt re m iheir \iew, 

 and 1 think thev mav have seen something. At any rate 

 they showed signs of uneasiness, ami after a time crossed 

 the valley in which we were, to an isolated peak or 

 huttress, called I he Sarradet<. which pi'ojects tVoni the 

 main chain aliove the Ciique. and went oui ui our ^ight 



'2 A 



