CHAP. XII. UNPREMEDITATED EXPLORATIONS. 225 



could any one tell where he was. Halting the others, and 

 handing all the things I usually carried over to Louis in order 

 to move quickly, I scrambled a couple of hundred feet up the 

 ridge on the northern side of the valley, and descried the Chief 

 of the Staff about half-a-mile ahead, picking his way through 

 some swampy ground. 



Just then a deer galloped down the cliff ; the hounds went 

 off in hot pursuit, and holding us entranced by their splendid 

 bounds down break-neck rocks gave the errant man a still longer 

 start. When they came back, discomfited and panting, we went 

 on, and for a time held parallel courses — the others down below 

 on the flat floor of the valley, and I on the top of the ridge, 

 so close that we could keep up conversation. Presently they 

 got out of sight and hearing. I continued, however, to progress 

 along the arele, intending to rejoin them when the cliffs between 

 us became less precipitous. 



At mid-day clouds formed about our neighbourhood. I had 

 arrived close above the spot where we were to have encamped, 

 but could not see twenty yards, or get a response to continual 

 whistling and shouting. About this time I was joined by one 

 of the hounds, who seemed to share my perplexity, and ran 

 about in all directions, stopping to listen. I then bore round 

 to the south, and finding no track concluded that the others 

 must have passed over rock, and left no trace ; so proceeded 

 higher up, and doubled back, purposely selecting such ground 

 as would allow a good track to be made on it. Presently we 

 came to some bits of climbing which were too steep for the 

 dog, and, whilst rendering him assistance, a few specks of snow 

 commenced to fall. They quickly changed to flakes ; in a few 

 minutes there was a blinding snow-storm, and the track was com- 

 pletely obliterated. I continued to search for two hours more, 

 and then considered it was time to attend to my own safety. 



We were nearly 16,000 feet high ; without compass or instru- 

 ments, food, protection or the means of making a fire, for Louis 



2 G 



