EXPEDITION TO THE HIMALAYAS 107
necessary to bend more to the left, 1 at once
warned my patrons, who were hastening on,
not to lose sight of my track—signalised by
steps cut here and there in the ice.
In three hours, we at last reached the rocks,
and here found a level bit of ground where
we decided to call a halt. During the night,
snow fell, and prudence forbade further pro-
gress. Meantime, I reconnoitred to find a
safe way and, having done so, went back to
let our party know of it. The usual impedi-
ments in the shape of crevasses presented
themselves, and we often had to use the rope
and were also obliged to help the porters, to
prevent any misfortune happening.
Yet we had not proceeded an hour on our
way, before an accident occurred which,
luckily, only resulted in a fright. We had
to cross a crevasse by a great stone which
lay, bridge-wise, athwart it. My patrons
and I managed it successfully and we were
already more than fifty yards ahead, when
we heard a voice: “Oh, sahib, iderao!” (Oh,
sir, do come !”). Running back to see what
had happened, we beheld a porter who had
fallen into a crevasse, to the depth of about
five or six yards. I had the rope ready in
a trice and soon hauled him out, more