186 
AN UNPLEASANT SITUATION. 
“At last ice could get no higher^ aiidj what was worse, 
we began to think that w’e might find some difficulty in 
getting down again. We couldn’t well make up our 
minds, however, to remain all night upon the mountain’s 
side, and so proceeded at once to make the attempt. I 
liad often heard the expression, ‘It is much easier to 
ascend than to descend a precipice,’ and had frequently 
tested its truth in my own previous rambles; but I had 
never before glanced around me and felt that there was 
a strong probability of my breaking my neck within the 
disagreeabiy-short space of ten minutes. 
“Each one now selected his own road down, — Burke 
throwing his bui'den ahead some hundred yards, and thus 
getting the use of both hands, while I Avas so unfortunate 
as to select the worst road that could have been found. 
“I thought that, with only one hand to steady myself, 
I should do better along the rocky edge of a neighbour- 
ing ravine; but, after some little time, the projecting 
footholds of rock became less frequent, and their places 
Avei'e taken up by the crumbling earth and loosely-rooted 
bunches of grass. Still, as there now remained but some 
eight or ten feet between me and a bed of rocks, from 
wliich the ground sloped off quite safely, I determined to 
trust to the light soil for a partial support to my foot, 
hoping to sustain much of my weight from a more 
healthy-looking bunch of grass, whose roots felt quite 
solid under the grasp, 
“ It was a fatal mistake. 
“ The earth gave way entirely under my cautious foot. 
I tried to recover myself Avhen too late, and was left Avith 
my whole Aveight suspended from the grass. Should 
