Part 31 (1/2)
”Soood manners must be founded on,” Lucy interposed
Foster saw that they had argued about the ently
”Then how did he irl
”That was not altogether Lawrence's fault Walters was cleverer than he thought”
”And he mailed one of the letters that did not arrive?”
”The fellow,” Lawrence continued, ”was a pleasant coreed that the mountains were best for me Told me about some friends of his whom the air had cured”
”In short, he reco Banff,” Lucy reood turn there We separated at Seattle, but I found him at Victoria, where I stopped so to Banff I irl blushed ”I clie friends They talked about exploring solaciers next sue, I persuaded mother to spend a et sorave voice: ”I really don't climb well, Mr Foster, and doubt if I shall venture on the rocks again”
”Well,” resuot better rapidly and we made a few easy excursions into the mountains, but the weather was bad and we didn't like our hotel Then Walters turned up again and told us about this place In fact, he was rather enthusiastic about it and said we'd find good rock clireed tofellow He'd a way of finding so for one to do and was always ready when he anted; a very useful ht have found the fellow about when he was not wanted, but Mrs Stephen's s It seemed to hint that Lawrence had found Walters useful because he took her off his hands Foster thought it curious that the man was satisfied with his part, since Lucy was a very attractive girl Walters had obviously not attached hier we tried some harder climbs,” Lawrence went on
”Lucy is clever and steady on the ice; I'd had some practice on Scawfell in winter when I was at hoh Walters didn't know th, we resolved to try the sharp peak yonder”
It was nearly dark, but Foster, looking up the valley, sahite suainst the sky The shoulders of the ray, and the darker streak that filled a deep hollow lacier
”We started early and at first found the glacier rough but safe
Walters had insisted on two guides; prospectors, used to the rocks, who now and then took a tourist party out The glacier brought us up soan to be broken by big crevasses We spent two hours picking our way across and at noon sae ht would take us off our line; on the left there were high, icy rocks that would puzzle a member of the Alpine club”
”We sat down and exas, a snowfield ran up to the foot of the last sharp ridge, but we did not see hoe could reach it Ragged clouds drove across the ridge and blowing snow strea on, and by and by one of the guides picked out a _coulee_ that ood French-Canadian, but Alpinists call it a _couloir_ It looked like a thin, white, perpendicular streak on the face of the dark rock But perhaps I'ave Foster a lance and he said, ”No; I want to understand the thing”
”It ard to reach the _coulee_, because the glacier was badly crevassed, but we got there The gully was nearly precipitous; a narrow trough that serves as a rubbish shoot for the round smooth in sumain and studied it, and I felt doubtful I about taking Lucy up, but she didn't want to go back Walters took o back, but he looked disappointed and Lucy wouldn't agree”
”I lost my temper,” Lucy admitted ”I never liked Walters and when he supported Lawrence I got obstinate Besides, I thought he really wanted to get rid of uide should take Lucy back down the glacier”
”Walters decided,” Lucy objected ”It's iuide Be careful how you tell the rest, Lawrence”
”He said she hed and said that if we et up we'd better stick to him Walters, however, sent this fellow off with Lucy, and then we fastened on the rope and began to cli steps in the snow, but that's a tiring job for the leader, and when he found a crack in the wall, where we could stop, the guide had had enough”
”Why was it necessary to find a crack?” Foster asked
”One couldn't stand on the snow, and if we had tried to sit on it, we'd have shot down to the bottoo up a place like that, the leader kicks a little hole as high as he can in front, and then stands in it while he makes another The rest put their feet in the holes as they follow Well, e set off again I went first and had to use my ax because the snow had hardened into ice, I soon found out I hadn't quite got better, and was forced to stop ere nearly half-way up We lay doith our toes in the nicks, to rest, and I slidflask, and I'd got it filled with brandy I thought the guide took a re drink, but he looked steady when he crawled up to take my place
”After that it was very sloork and ere glad e found a knob of rock sticking out of the ice It had been ground into the shape of a bridge pier by the rubbish shooting past We stopped a bit and argued if we should give it up, but the guide declared he knew a better way down into the next valley and Walters see, took another drink, and set off again The slope was dangerously steep and I thought the guide was using his ax wildly, but we caested that it ully I threw off the rope It would have been of no use if I had fallen, and I meant to come down unless I saw a fairly safe route to the snowfield In fact, I think I ive up the climb and only went to find an excuse for this
”The crack was not quite vertical and gave a good hold, but when I'd got up eighteen or twenty feet I caed out, but I found a hold for ed this because the alternative was falling off and shooting to the bottom of the _coulee,_ but perhaps because I eaker than I thought, I wrenchedthe lift Anyhow, I couldn't use ament was strained, and the joint pinches yet