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           Hetoldofhisreasonforventuringbackfromthatfastness,intowhichhehadfirstbeencarriedlashedtoallama,besideavastbaleofgear,whenhewasachild. Thevalley,hesaid,hadinitallthattheheartofmancoulddesire—sweetwater,pasture,andevenclimate,slopesofrichbrownsoilwithtanglesofashrubthatboreanexcellentfruit,andononesidegreathangingforestsofpinethatheldtheavalancheshigh. Faroverhead,onthreesides,vastcliffsofgrey-greenrockwerecappedbycliffsofice; buttheglacierstreamcamenottothembutflowedawaybythefartherslopes,andonlynowandthenhugeicemassesfellonthevalleyside. Inthisvalleyitneitherrainednorsnowed,buttheabundantspringsgavearichgreenpasture,thatirrigationwouldspreadoverallthevalleyspace. Thesettlersdidwellindeedthere. Theirbeastsdidwellandmultiplied,andbutonethingmarredtheirhappiness. Yetitwasenoughtomaritgreatly. Astrangediseasehadcomeuponthem,andhadmadeallthechildrenborntothemthere—andindeed,severalolderchildrenalso—blind. Itwastoseeksomecharmorantidoteagainstthisplagueofblindnessthathehadwithfatigueanddangeranddifficultyreturneddownthegorge. Inthosedays,insuchcases,mendidnotthinkofgermsandinfectionsbutofsins;anditseemedtohimthatthereasonofthisafflictionmustlieinthenegligenceofthesepriestlessimmigrantstosetupashrinesosoonastheyenteredthevalley.