Crossifig the Valdcs Glacier. — Abercro/nbie. 351 
civilian employees were inclined to be a little weak-kneed, as 
it looked very much like climbing up the fog into space. But 
by a judicious use of the stimulant referred to, this was over- 
come, and, placing them along in the niches cut by Private 
Bence, we roped the entire train up with but few accidents. 
Now and then a horse would lose his footing and go down to 
the bottom with a rush. But as the trail was constructed so 
that all the attendants and packers were on the upper side of 
the liorses, nothing worse than bruises and cuts to the animals 
was the result of their falls. Never once did one of them 
refuse to climb out of an ice gulch when called upon, although 
r.iany times they left a trail of blood behind them when the 
disintegrated rock of the moraine had cut them in their falls. 
Aniving on top of the first bench, the fog was so dense that 
it was impossible to see more than five or six animals of a 
train at any one time. It was like a man groping his way 
in the dark, and at the end of two hours' traveling the expedi- 
tion was completely lost. Every once in a while it was found 
that the melting ice had caused one of the stone monuments 
which had marked the trail to slide from its position. Then 
a halt would be called and Bence sent forward in the fog. 
just far enough to keep within hail. Having found the contin- 
uation of the line of monuments, he would call back and the 
train would move forward again. These were trying 
moments. In this way the train was kept moving during the 
day and well into the night, until 12 miles had been cov- 
ered up the glacier. Here a bivouac was made for the night, 
as it was becoming so dark that one could not see to go far- 
ther in the rain that had been falling in torrents the greater 
part of the day. The picket line was stretched from one 
ice hummock to another, the pack animals tethered, and the 
cargoes removed from the pack saddles. As the rain was 
extremely cold, the saddles and blankets were left on the ani- 
mals to protect them as much as possible. Their grain was 
portioned out on the ice. 
To each man in the party a small tincu])ful of whisky 
was issued, some canned meat, cheese and hard-tack. Some 
of the men pitched their shelter tents on the glacier and at- 
tempted to sleep; but in a few minutes they joined their 
comrades, who kept u\) a steady tramp all night backward 
