288 



Unexplored Spain 



The lower passes had meanwhile been occupied by the Padre and 

 by sundry shepherds armed with primitive-looking guns. 



On recovering some degree of breath and strength, I surveyed 

 my surroundings. We were both stationed on the topmost arete, 

 in a nick that broke for 80 or 100 yards the rim of a knife- 



A 





/^ '^//y 





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A CHAMOIS DRIVE— PICOS DE EL'ROPA 



Diagram illustrative of text. Our positions ou arete marked (1) ami (2) ; " Cathedral "' on right. 

 Valley beyond full of driving mist (passing our power to dejiict). 



edged ridge that separated two stupendous gorges. On my right, 

 while facing the beat, and not 30 yards away, the nick was 

 terminated by a rock-mass perpendicular and four-square as a 

 cathedral tower, that uprose some 100 feet sheer. On the left 

 also rose cliffs though not quite so abrupt. The position was 

 such that any game attempting to pass the nick must appear 

 within 50 or 60 yards — so, in our simplicity, we thought. 



Behind us dipped away the long moraine of loose rocks by 



