Evening star., 1953-06-27

and we were bathed in the
warm rays OF the sun. Schatz
spoke gently:
"We'll be moving now. Maurice.
old man."
/ I could not help obeying him.
and with his assistance sue
ceeded in getting up and stand
ing in balance. He moved on
I gradually, pulling me after him.
I seemed to make contact with
the snow by means of two
strange stlltlike objectS-my
legs. / could no longer see the
others; I did not dare to turn
around for fear of losing my ball
ance. and I was dazzled by the
reflection of the suns rays.
Having walked about a couple
Of hundred yards, and skirted
around an ice wall, suddenly.
and without any sort of warning
we came upon a tent. We had
bivouacked 200 yards from the
camp.
Must Get to Doctor.
Couzy got up as I appeared.
and without speaking held me
close and embraced me. Terray
threw himself down in the tent
and took off his boots. His feet,
too, were frostbitten; he mas
saged them and beat them un-
mercifully.
The will to live stirred again
in me. I tried to take in the
situation: There was not much
that we could debut we would
do whatever was possible. Our
only hope lay in DR.. Oudot; only
he could save our feet and hands
by the proper treatment.
I heartily agreed to Cchatz'
suggestion that we should 60
down Immediately to the lower
Camp w which the sherpaS had
re-established. Terray wanted
to remain in the tent, and as he
failed his feet with the energy
of despair he cried out:
"Come and fetch me tomor-
row If necessary. I want to be
whole, or dead!"
A Steep Slope.
Rebuffat's feet were affected,
too. but he preferred to go down
to Oudot Immediately. He
started the descent with Lach-
enal and Couzy. while Schatz
continued to look after me-for
which I was deeply grateful.
He took the rope and propelled
me gently along the track.
The slope suddenly became
very steep, and the thin layer Of
snow adhering to the surface Of
the ice gave no foothold: I
slipped several times, but Schatz,
holding me on tight rope, was
able to check me.
Below there was a broad track;
no doubt the others had let
themselves slide straight down
toward the lower Camp w. but
they had started an avalanche
which had swept the slope clear
of snow. and this hardly made
things easier for me-.
AS soon as we drew in sight
Of the camp the sherpas came
up to meet us. In their eyes I
read such kindliness and such
pity that I began to realize my
dreadful plight. They were busy
clearing the tents which the
avalanche had covered with
snow. Lachenal was in a corner
massaging his feet; from time to
time Pansy comforted him, say
ing that the Doctor Sahib would
cure him.
A Matter Of Hours.
I hurried every one-we must
get down-that was our first OBJ
jective. AS for the equipment,
well, it could not be helped: we
simply must get of the noun
tain before the next onslaught
of the monsoon. For those of
us with frostbitten limbs it was
a matter Of hours.
I chose ALA and Sarki to es-
cort Rebuffat, Lachenal and my
self. I tried to make the two
sherpas understand that they
must watch me very closely and
hold me on a short rope. For
some unknown reason, neither
Lachenal nor Rebuffat wished to
rope.
The descent began - Ang-
Tharkey was magnificent, going
first and cutting comfortable
steps for Terray. Schatz, COM
ing down last, carefully safe
guarded the whole party.
Our first group was advancing
slowly. The snow was soft and
we sank in up to our knees.
Lachenal grew worse; he fire.
quently stopped and moaned
about his feet. Rebuffat was a
few yards behind me.
I was concerned at the abnor-
NAL heat. and feared that bad
weather would put an end here
and now to the epic Of Anna
purna.
A Sense Of Danger.
It is said that mountaineers
have q sixth sense that warns
them Of danger-sudden1y I be-
came aware Of danger through
every pore of my body. There
was feeling in the atmosphere
that could not be ignored.
Yesterday it had showed
heavily, and the heat was now
working on these great masses
Of snow which were on the point
Of sliding of. Nothing in Europe
can give any idea Of the force of
these avalanches. They roll
down over a distance of miles
and are preceded by q blast that
destroys everything in its path.
The glare was so terrific that
without glasses it would have
been impossible to keep ones,
eyes open. BY good luck we were
fairly well spaced out, SO that
the risk was diminished.
I had no crampons and I