AN ASCENT OF THE MATTERHORN. 247 
when he cautiously clings to it from below. How- 
ever careful we may be, some stones will fall; and 
while this may not hurt us, it may hurt some one 
below us. Then occasionally some stone would 
detach itself naturally, and go rattling down to the 
bottom of the mountain, followed by a host of 
smaller ones, leaving as they pass a strong “ smell 
of sulphur,” which, as Whymper says, “tells us 
who sent them.” 
The Matterhorn, as I have said, is one of the 
steepest and slipperiest of mountains, and every- 
where it offers but. scanty hold to the climber. 
There is, however, in all this little real danger to 
men strong of limb and steady of head, accom- 
panied by good guides. But there is one danger 
which is real, one which is almost constantly pres- 
ent and against which no skill nor strength can 
wholly guard, — and that is the danger from falling 
stones. This risk would be slight with a small 
party, but our company of eleven, probably the 
largest ever onthe Matterhorn, made so long a line 
that a stone loosened by the uppermost would ac- 
quire a fearful velocity before reaching the last. 
Not more than five persons should be on the 
Matterhorn at once. 
The head of our column had reached the foot of 
one of the last ropes which come down from the 
summit, and was waiting for the others to descend. 
One of the very last in the company was labori- 
ously crawling over a large projecting rock, when it 
suddenly became loosened. I remember hearing 
some one scream “LOOK ouT!” and then sud- 
denly it seemed to me that all sunshine and hope 
