wood. On and on I
went, but not a glimpse of its friendly shelter could I see, the real
fact being that I had borne away a great deal too much to the right,
almost at right angles to my proper course. Having been blown down over
and over again, I had probably, in rising to my feet, altered my
direction unconsciously. The wind too, by which I had been trying to
steer, proved a treacherous compass; for, as I have been told, about this
time it went more round into the south. It was, moreover, becoming very
dark. After a while I became aware that the ground under my feet was of
a wrong shape, sloping downwards when it should have been level, and I
then knew that I had missed my way. This, however, gave me no great
uneasiness, as I imagined that I had only gone a little too much to the
south of the wood, and that I should soon reach an inhabited district at
the bottom of it, known as Bullock's Moor, from which a somewhat
circuitous route would bring me safely home. Under this impression I
walked cheerfully on, but only for a few steps further. Suddenly my feet
flew from under me, and I found myself shooting at a fearful pace down
the side of one of the steep ravines which I had imagined lay far away to
my right. I thought to check myself by putting my stick behind me, and
bearing heavily upon it in the manner usual under such circumstances in
Alpine travelling. Before, however, I could do so I came in contact with
something which jerked it out of my hand and turned me round, so that I
continued my tremendous glissade head downwards, lying on my back.

The pace I was going in this headlong descent must have been very great,
yet it seemed to me to occupy a marvellous space of time, long enough for
the events of my whole previous life to pass in review before me, as I
had often before heard that they did in moments of extreme peril. I
never lost my consciousness, but had time to think much of those I should
leave behind me, expecting every moment as I did to be dashed over the
rocks at the bottom of the ravine; knew in fact that such must be my
fate, unless I could stop myself by some means. Owing to the softness of
the snow, I contrived to accomplish this by kicking my foot as deep into
the snow as I could, and at the same time bending my knee with a smart
muscular effort, so as to make a hook of my leg; this brought me to a
stand still, but my position was anything but agreeable even then,
hanging head downwards o