112 



DESERT THE MULES. 



ment to have my bed blown from under me, and 

 the wind all night cracked so horribly above us, 

 fiat we were not sorry when daylight came, so 

 that we might be moving from our miserable 

 abode. 



Sunday^ was a very cold morning, ther- 



mometer at the freezing point, and blowing a 

 gale of wind. The wild regions of snow were 

 close to us. We laced on our snow-shoes, each 

 man took his load, and we struck at once where 

 nothing, save human beings, could venture. We 

 soon came to a desperate descent in the side of 

 a mountain, all snow and hard frozen. Now the 

 labour of man commenced. It was with great 

 difficulty the poor peons, being loaded, could 

 keep their footing; several slipped down many 

 feet, and were all but going into the torrent. 

 One fell and rolled down a great way, but 

 fortunately, with the assistance of his stick, 

 saved himself from rolling into the torrent, but 

 not until his ancle was dislocated to that degree 

 that he could not rise to walk again ; thus, at first 



