Evening star., 1924-03-02

not greatly Interested then in the
exact number of feet by which we
should beat record. 1t must be re-
membered that the mind Is not easily
interested under such conditions. The
intelligence is gradually numbed as
the supply Of oxygen. diminishes and
the body comes nearer to exhaustion.
Looking back on my own mental
processes as we approached $1,000
feet, I can find no traces Of insanity.
nothing completely illogical. Within
a small compass I was able to rea-
son. no doubt very slowly. But my
reasoning was concerned only with
one idea. Beyond its range I can
recall no thought. The view, for in
stance-and as rule I'm keen
| enough about the view-did not in
tereSt me.
Wonderful as such an experience
would be. had not even the desire to
look over the northeast ridge. 1
would have gladly got to the north
cast shoulder as being the sort Of
place one ought to reach, but had
no strong desire to get there, and
none at all for the wonder OF being
there. / dare say the others were
more mentally alive than I, but when
1t came to deciding what we should
do we had no lively discussion. It
seemed to me that we should get back
to Morshead in time to take him down
this same day to Camp ".
There was some sense in this idea.
and many mountaineers may think
we were right to make it first con-
sideration. The idea of reaching
Camp w with Morshead before dark.
once it had been accepted. controlled
us altogether. It was easy to calcu-
late from our upward speed, suppos.
ing that we could treble this on the
descent, at what time we ought to
turn. We agreed to start down At
2:30 pm, but we would maintain our
rate Of progress as best we. could
until that time approached.
At 2:15 we completed the ascent Of
q sleeper pitch, and found ourselves
on the edge of an easier terrain.
where the mountain slopes back to-
ward the northeast shoulder 1t was
an obvious place for a halt. We were
in need of food, and we lay against
teen minutes before we should turn
for the descent according to our bond.
None Of US was altogether cooked"
We were not brought to a standstili
because our limbs would carry US no
farther. I should be very sorry to
reach such q condition at this alti-
tude, for one would not recover cas-.
lily, and q man who cannot take care
Of himself on tho descent will prob
ably be the cause OF disaster to his
companions, who will have little
enough strength remaining to help
themselves and him.
The summit Of Everest or what
appeared to bo the summit Il doubt
II we saw tho ultimate tip). lying
back along tho northeast ridge. was
not impressive. and We were too near
up under this ridge to add anything
to former observations as to the ma
ture Of its obstacles.
\ y + X
THE view was necessarily restricted
= whom Everest itself hid SO much
country. But II was pleasure to
look westward across the broad north
face and down It toward the Rong-
buk gIasier. It was satisfactory to
notice that the north peak. which,
though perceptibly below US, had still
held, SO to speak, q place In our circle
when we started In the morning, this
same Changste had now become q
contemptible fellow, beneath our no
tice.
Wo saw his black. plebeian head
rising from the mists-mists that
filled all tho valleys. 80 that there
was nothing in all the world 40 wa
looked from northeast to northwest
but the great twins, Gyachung Kang
and Cho Uyo. And even these, though
they regarded US still from q station
Of equality, were actually inferior.
The lesser Of them is $4,000 feet, and
We could clearly afford to despise him.
The greater Cho Uyo We had to re-
gard respectfully before We could be
sure. His triangulated height Is 2S,-
$40, whereas our aneroid was reading
only 2e,so0. It seemed that We were
looking over his head, but such ap-
pearances are deceptive, and We were
glad to have tho confirmation Of the
theodolite later, proving that We had
--'r