Страна слепых

           TherecameatimewhenachildwasbornwhowasfifteengenerationsfromthatancestorwhowentoutofthevalleywithabarofsilvertoseekGod’said,andwhoneverreturned. Thereaboutsitchancedthatamancameintothiscommunityfromtheouterworld. Andthisisthestoryofthatman. 

           HewasamountaineerfromthecountrynearQuito,amanwhohadbeendowntotheseaandhadseentheworld,areaderofbooksinanoriginalway,anacuteandenterprisingman,andhewastakenonbyapartyofEnglishmenwhohadcomeouttoEcuadortoclimbmountains,toreplaceoneoftheirthreeSwissguideswhohadfallenill. Heclimbedhereandheclimbedthere,andthencametheattemptonParascotopetl,theMatterhornoftheAndes,inwhichhewaslosttotheouterworld. Thestoryoftheaccidenthasbeenwrittenadozentimes. Pointer’snarrativeisthebest. Hetellshowthelittlepartyworkedtheirdifficultandalmostverticalwayuptotheveryfootofthelastandgreatestprecipice,andhowtheybuiltanightshelteramidstthesnowuponalittleshelfofrock,and,withatouchofrealdramaticpower,howpresentlytheyfoundNunezhadgonefromthem. Theyshouted,andtherewasnoreply;shoutedandwhistled,andfortherestofthatnighttheysleptnomore. 

           Asthemorningbroketheysawthetracesofhisfall. Itseemsimpossiblehecouldhaveutteredasound. Hehadslippedeastwardtowardstheunknownsideofthemountain; farbelowhehadstruckasteepslopeofsnow,andploughedhiswaydownitinthemidstofasnowavalanche.