158 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



were not roped, and as his pace increased it seemed 

 that nothing on earth could save him. Near the 

 end of my line, however, carrying a load, was a 

 man of Hunza, whose quickness to grasp the 

 situation was only equalled by his resource. 

 Dropping his load he sprang out on to a project- 

 ing point of rock near which the man would pass, 

 and as he slid by, with the point of his native- 

 made ice-axe he gaffed him in his loose clothing 

 as one might a salmon . It was most cleverly and 

 promptly done. Dawn had broken before, with 

 the help of a rope all our party were safely across 

 the treacherous slope, and it was midday before 

 the crest of the pass was reached. The rest of the 

 day was spent in toiling through deep snow, now 

 softened by the sun into the worst possible con- 

 dition for marching, and evening closed in while 

 we were still pounding through it. The night's 

 bivouac under the stars, my first on the "roof of 

 the world," with the thermometer well below 

 zero, will long remain in my memory. 



The cold earth slept below, 



Above the cold sky shone, 

 And all around, with a chilling sound, 

 From caves of ice and fields of snow, 

 The breath of Night like death did flow 



Beneath the sinking moon. 



Next day we continued our march down the 



