CLIMBING ADVENTURES 191 



along the crack toward the top, at last getting his 

 arms over the brink, and gradually drawing his body 

 up and out of sight. It was the most splendid piece 

 of slow gymnastics I ever witnessed. For a moment 

 he said nothing ; but when I asked if he was all 

 right, cheerfully repeated, * All right/ 



It was only a moment's work to send up the two 

 knapsacks and barometer and receive again my end 

 of the lasso. As I tied it round my breast Cotter 

 said to me, in an easy, confident tone, * Don't be afraid 

 to bear your weight.' I made up my mind, however, 

 to make that climb without his aid, and husbanded 

 my strength as I : climbed from crack to crack. I got 

 up without difficulty to my former point, rested there 

 a moment, hanging solely by my hands, gathered every 

 pound of strength and atom of will for the reach, 

 then jerked myself upward with a swing, just getting 

 the tips of my fingers into the crack. In an instant 

 I had grasped it with my right hand also. I felt 

 the sinews of my fingers relax a little, but the picture 

 of the slope of ice and the blue lake affected me so 

 strongly that I redoubled my grip, and climbed slowly 

 along the crack until I reached the angle, and I rested 

 my body upon^ the edge and looked up at Cotter. 

 I saw that instead of a level top he was sitting upon 

 a smooth, roof-like slope, where the least pull would 

 have dragged him over the brink. He had no brace 

 for his feet, nor hold for his hands, but had seated 

 himself calmly, with the rope around his breast, know- 

 ing that my only safety lay in being able to make 

 the climb entirely unaided, certain that the least waver 

 in his tone would have disheartened me, and perhaps 

 made it impossible. The shock I received on seeing 



