SCRAMBLES AMONGST THE ALPS. 389work of a moment. Immediately we heard Croz’s exclama-tion, old Peter and I planted ourselves as firmly as the rockswould permit: * the rope was taut between us, and thejerk came on us both as on one man. We held; but therope broke midway between Taugwalder and Lord FrancisDouglas. For a few seconds we saw our unfortunate com-panions sliding downwards on their backs, and spreadingout their hands, endeavouring to save themselves. Theypassed from our sight uninjured, disappeared one by one,and fell from precipice to precipice on to the Matterhom-gletscher below, a distance of nearly 4,000 feet in height.From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to helpthem.

So perished our comrades ! For the space of half an hourwe remained on the spot without moving a single step. Thetwo men, paralyzed by terror, cried like infants, and trembledin such a manner as to threaten us with the fate of the others.

had been aware, or had suspected, that anything was about to occur, hemight and would have gripped it, and would have prevented any mis-chief. He was taken totally by surprise. Mr. Hadow slipped off hisfeet on to his back, his feet struck Croz in the small of the back, andknocked him right over, head first. Croz's axe was out of his reach,and without it he managed to get his head uppermost before he dis-appeared from our sight. If it had been in his hand, I have no doubtthat he would have stopped himself and Mr. Hadow.

Mr. Hadow, at the moment of the slip, was not occupying a badposition. He could have moved either up or down, and could touchwith his hand the rock of which I have spoken. Hudson was not sowell placed, but he had liberty of motion. The rope was not taut fromhim to Hadow , and the two men fell ten or twelve feet before the jerkcame upon him. Lord F. Douglas was not favourably placed, andcould neither move up nor down. Old Peter was firmly planted, andstood just beneath a large rock, which he hugged with both arms. Ienter into these details to make it more apparent that the positionoccupied by the party at the moment of the accident was not by anymeans excessively trying. We were compelled to pass over the exactspot where the slip occurred, and we found—even with shaken nerves—that it was not a difficult place to pass. I have described the slopegenerally as difficult, and it is so undoubtedly to most persons ; but itmust be distinctly understood that Mr. Hadow slipped at a com-paratively easy part.

* Or, more correctly, we held on as tightly as possible. There wasno time to change our position.