An Ascent of the Matterhorn. 77 



of the month and did not want to take chances on dis- 

 arranging my programme. A spell of bad weather some- 

 times lasts a week in the Alps, and the guides do not like 

 to start for the cahane or Alpenhiitte on the Hornli when 

 the weather is unsettled. I felt that it was better to get 

 Burgener and David up to the cabin at once, so that even 

 if we had to weather a storm there, we could take advan- 

 tage of the first fair day that came. From Zermatt one 

 has to reckon on two days for the ascent ; from the Alpine 

 cabin it can be done in one day. Our counsels prevailed. 

 We laid in a good stock of provisions, had our shoes re- 

 studded with a formidable armament of nails, took an 

 additional new rope, and then started for cloudland. 

 During our stay at the hotel we had not mingled much 

 with American tourists. On the register we simply signed 

 the last place from which we had come, and at the table 

 we talked French or German, whichever the occasion 

 suggested. Our Alpine costume helped to complete our 

 disguise, so that several times we were treated to amusing 

 discussions of our identity in good American vernacular. 

 But soon after our return from the Rimpfischhorn, either 

 through the guides or through the head waiter, from 

 whom we obtained a variety of things for the trip, the 

 news leaked out that we were Americans and that we had 

 come to scale the Matterhorn. Immediately we became 

 objects of interest to the Americans at the hotel. They 

 waylaid us in the hall after dinner, and we, nolens 

 volens, had to hold a reception. Cockroft, on account 

 of his youth, became an object of envy and admiration 

 to several lads in the crowd, who afterwards accompanied 

 us for an hour on our way up the Hornli. But soon their 

 talk gave out and their breath also, and they turned back 

 to the little village over which the westering sun began 

 to throw the massive shadows of the Gabelhorner. The 

 Matterhorn wore a great white kaftan of clouds. By the 

 time we reached the Schwarzsee Hotel it began to rain. 

 We stopped there for a little while to buy additional pro- 

 visions and some wood for fuel. Then we struck out 



