Much snow-chafing and some brandy
got him on his legs, but delirious and quite unconscious where he was.
The watch remained upon the brink, and his cry went down continually:
"Courage! They will soon be here. How goes it?" And the cry came up:
"His heart still beats against mine. I warm him in my arms. I have cast
off the rope, for the ice melts under us, and the rope would separate me
from him; but I am not afraid."
The moon went down behind the mountain tops, and all the abyss lay in
darkness. The cry went down: "How goes it?" The cry came up: "We are
sinking lower, but his heart still beats against mine."
At length the eager barking of the dogs, and a flare of light upon the
snow, proclaimed that help was coming on. Twenty or thirty men, lamps,
torches, litters, ropes, blankets, wood to kindle a great fire,
restoratives and stimulants, came in fast. The dogs ran from one man to
another, and from this thing to that, and ran to the edge of the abyss,
dumbly entreating Speed, speed, speed!
The cry went down: "Thanks to God, all is ready. How goes it?"
The cry came up: "We are sinking still, and we are deadly cold. His
heart no longer beats against mine. Let no one come down, to add to our
weight. Lower the rope only."
The fire was kindled high, a great glare of torches lighted the sides of
the precipice, lamps were lowered, a strong rope was lowered. She could
be seen passing it round him, and making it secure.
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