The Alps . of menon the top. The excitement became intense. The slope eased off; at length we could bedetached; and Croz and I, dashing away,ran a neck-and-neck race which ended in adead heat. At the world was atour feet, and the Matterhorn was conquered. No footsteps could be seen; but the summitof the Matterhorn consists of a rudely levelridge about 350 feet in length, and the Italiansmight have been at the further end. Whym-per hastened to the Italian summit, and againfound the snow untrodden. They peered overthe ridge, and far below on the right caughtsight of the Italian party.
The Alps . of menon the top. The excitement became intense. The slope eased off; at length we could bedetached; and Croz and I, dashing away,ran a neck-and-neck race which ended in adead heat. At the world was atour feet, and the Matterhorn was conquered. No footsteps could be seen; but the summitof the Matterhorn consists of a rudely levelridge about 350 feet in length, and the Italiansmight have been at the further end. Whym-per hastened to the Italian summit, and againfound the snow untrodden. They peered overthe ridge, and far below on the right caughtsight of the Italian party. Up went myarms and hat. Croz, Croz, come here ! • Where are they, monsieur ? There, dontyou see them, down there. Ah, the coquins,they are low down. Croz, we must makethose fellows hear us. They yelled untilthey were hoarse. Croz, we must makethem hear us, they shall hear us. Whymperseized a block of rock and hurled it down,and called on his companion to do the drove their sticks in, and soon a. 167 168 THE ALPS whole torrent was pouring down. Therewas no mistake about it this time. TheItalians turned and fled. Croz planted a tent-pole which they hadtaken with them, though Whymper protestedthat it was tempting Providence, and fixedhis blouse to it. A poor flag—but it wasseen everywhere. At Breuil—as we haveseen—they cheered the Italian victory. Buton the morrow the explorers returned down-hearted. The old legends are true—thereare spirits on the top of the Matterhorn. Wesaw them ourselves—they hurled stones atus. We may allow this dramatic touch to passunchallenged, though, whatever Carrel mayhave said to his friends, he made it quiteclear to Giordano that he had identified theturbulent spirits, for, in the letter from whichwe have quoted, Giordano tells his friendsthat Carrel had seen Whymper on the might, perhaps, be worth while to add thatthe stones Whymper hurled down the ridgecould by no possible chance have hit Carrelsparty. Still, I would,
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