Страна слепых

           Histrackwentstraighttotheedgeofafrightfulprecipice,andbeyondthateverythingwashidden. Far,farbelow,andhazywithdistance,theycouldseetreesrisingoutofanarrow,shut-invalley—thelostCountryoftheBlind. ButtheydidnotknowitwasthelostCountryoftheBlind,nordistinguishitinanywayfromanyothernarrowstreakofuplandvalley. Unnervedbythisdisaster,theyabandonedtheirattemptintheafternoon,andPointerwascalledawaytothewarbeforehecouldmakeanotherattack. TothisdayParascotopetlliftsanunconqueredcrest,andPointer’ssheltercrumblesunvisitedamidstthesnows. 

           Andthemanwhofellsurvived. 

           Attheendoftheslopehefellathousandfeet,andcamedowninthemidstofacloudofsnowuponasnowslopeevensteeperthantheoneabove. Downthishewaswhirled,stunnedandinsensible,butwithoutabonebrokeninhisbody; andthenatlastcametogentlerslopes,andatlastrolledoutandlaystill,buriedamidstasofteningheapofthewhitemassesthathadaccompaniedandsavedhim. Hecametohimselfwithadimfancythathewasillinbed;thenrealisedhispositionwithamountaineer’sintelligence,andworkedhimselflooseand,afterarestorso,outuntilhesawthestars. Herestedflatuponhischestforaspace,wonderingwherehewasandwhathadhappenedtohim. Heexploredhislimbs,anddiscoveredthatseveralofhisbuttonsweregoneandhiscoatturnedoverhishead. Hisknifehadgonefromhispocketandhishatwaslost,thoughhehadtieditunderhischin.