252 MY LIFE 



scarce, and we then walked along the ridge to the second 

 and higher triangular summit, peeped with nervous dread on 

 my part over the almost perpendicular precipice towards 

 Brecon, noted the exact correspondence in slope of the two 

 peat summits, and then back to the ridge and a little way 

 down the southern slope to where a tiny spring trickles out — 

 the highest source of the river Taff — and there, lying on the 

 soft mountain turf, enjoyed our lunch and the distant view 

 over the valley and mountain to the faint haze of the British 

 Channel. We then returned to the western summit, took a 

 final view of the grand panorama around us, and bade fare- 

 well to the beautiful mountain, the summit of which neither 

 of us visited again, though I have since been very near it. 

 We took nearly the same route back, had a substantial tea at 

 the little inn at Ystrad-fellte, and then, about seven o'clock, 

 walked down to the cave to prepare our quarters for the 

 night. I think we had both of us at this time determined, 

 if possible, to go abroad into more or less wild countries, and 

 we wanted for once to try sleeping out-of-doors, with no 

 shelter or bed but what nature provided. 



Just inside the entrance of the cave there are slopes of 

 water-worn rock and quantities of large pebbles and boulders, 

 and here it was quite dry, while farther in, where there were 

 patches of smaller stones and sand, it was much colder and 

 quite damp, so our choice of a bed was limited to rock or 

 boulders. We first chose a place for a fire, and then searched 

 for sufficient dead or dry wood to last us the night. This 

 took us a good while, and it was getting dusk before we lit 

 our fire. We then sat down, enjoying the flicker of the flame 

 on the roof of the cavern, the glimmer of the stars through 

 the trees outside, and the gentle murmur of the little river 

 beside us. After a scanty supper we tried to find a place 

 where we could sleep with the minimum of discomfort, but 

 with very little success. We had only our usual thin summer 

 clothing, and had nothing whatever with us but a small 

 satchel, which served as a pillow. As the cave faces north 

 the rocky floor had not been warmed by the sun, and struck 

 cold through our thin clothing, and we turned about in vain 



