We passed three weeks in exploring, and never did I find time go more
quickly. The weather was fine, though the nights got very cold. We
followed every stream but one, and always found it lead us to a glacier
which was plainly impassable, at any rate without a larger party and
ropes. One stream remained, which I should have followed up already, had
not Chowbok said that he had risen early one morning while I was yet
asleep, and after going up it for three or four miles, had seen that it
was impossible to go farther. I had long ago discovered that he was a
great liar, so I was bent on going up myself: in brief, I did so: so far
from being impossible, it was quite easy travelling; and after five or
six miles I saw a saddle at the end of it, which, though covered deep in
snow, was not glaciered, and which did verily appear to be part of the
main range itself. No words can express the intensity of my delight. My
blood was all on fire with hope and elation; but on looking round for
Chowbok, who was behind me, I saw to my surprise and anger that he had
turned back, and was going down the valley as hard as he could. He had
left me.
CHAPTER IV: THE SADDLE
I cooeyed to him, but he would not hear.
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