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Fierce Attack of Eagles Upon a Chamois

(151) erland this wild denizen of the mountains came a little impatient. It was no use has become very rare. From many dis- talking, it was tremendous work. The tricts it has disappeared altogether, except cliff was nearly perpendicular, each step in almost inaccessible recesses where the being a separate climb. The higher we hunter cannot follow, and where, of course, went the more fearful seemed the precithe passing visitor has no chance of get- pice we were scaling on looking below. ting a sight of it. But, says a mountain After another sharp tug, the guides climber, I have seldom crossed any of the advised a glass of wine and a crust. This passes without seeing several.

On the Edge of a Precipice. we had, and then got on better, the guides soon telling us we had walked well the Its enemy, the eagle, never loses an last hour. We now approached a diffiopportunity to swoop down and seize a culty, consisting of steep slope of snow, kid with his savage talons, and carry it like the roof of a Gothic church. The away to his mountain nest. rope was now called into requisition, and The adventurous mountaineer will we were all attached to it. Lochmatter probably attempt the passage of the cut some steps with his axe, and started Weissthor. This pass presents no very up. My companion then put his feet into serious difficulty to expert climbers, but the holes, and followed him, I next, and it is a severe pull for those who are not the other guide last. Westood still while in training; and at one or two points is fresh steps were cut, when the process trying to persons who cannot creep along was repeated; and in this way, after much the edge of a precipice without giddi- slipping and tumbling, we gained the top of the slope, and took to the rocks again. ness.

We rose at three, dressed by candle- Hence to the summit was really difficult light, with a very uncomfortable sort of and dangerous, being a zigzag climb up feeling that we wished the work done, the face of the rock, with a foothold of and Zermatt safely reached. We got from six to twelve inches wide and away at five minutes to four, and walked "hanging on by the eyelids." up the valley for nearly an hour, calling at a cottage for rope, etc., Lochmatter, the guide, overtaking us with his ice-axe. "I was Shot up in the Same Way."

Soon we came to a narrow space be-- tween two rocks, so smooth and perpen- We enjoyed the sight of the sun tipping dicular as to suggest the idea that only a the ridges of Monte Rosa and the other chimney-sweep could get up. Lochmatter mountains as it came upon us, and the went up like a cat, and the other guide, transition from darkness to dawn was placing me in a delightful ledge about very striking. We soon began to ascend twelve inches square, made my friend by a rough path, sometimes over rocks stand on his shoulders like an acrobat, and and sometimes through water, till, in shot him up to Lochmatter, who dexterabout another hour, we reached a poor ously caught him and dragged him up. I cottage. was shot up in the same way, and the From this point the ledge began in guide came scrambling after anyhow. We earnest, and an hour's toiling over rocks looked at each other in astonishment. and precipitous ledges tried us very It was a clear space about ten feet by severely. We could not help resting five feet, at the end of a ridge of rock, every now and then, and our guides be- and apparently the only point at which