CHAPTER IV.

A DAY ACROSS COUNTRY The art of meteorological vaticination—The climate we leave our 96 homes for—Observations in the valley—The diligence arrives and shoots its load—Types of travellers—The Alpine habitué—The elderly spinster on tour—A stern Briton—A family party—We seek fresh snow-fields—The Bietschhorn—A sepulchral bivouac—On early starts and their curious effects on the temperament—A choice of routes—A deceptive ice gully—The avalanches on the Bietschhorn—We work up to a dramatic situation—The united party nearly fall out—A limited panorama—A race for home—Caught out—A short cut—Driven to extremities—The water jump—An aged person comes to the rescue—A classical banquet at Ried—The old curé and his hospitality—A wasted life?