“Horace,” said Leo at the dawn, “I am going to leave this.  If we have to die, I would rather do so moving; but I don’t believe that we shall die.”

“Very well,” I said, “let us start.  If the snow won’t bear us now, it never will.”

So we tied up our rugs and the yak’s hide in two bundles and, having cut off some more of the frozen meat, began our descent.  Now, although the mount was under two hundred feet high, its base, fortunately for us—­for otherwise it must have been swept away by the mighty pressure of the avalanche—­was broad, so that there was a long expanse of piled-up snow between us and the level ground.

Since, owing to the overhanging conformation of the place, it was quite impossible for us to descend in front where pressure had made the snow hard as stone, we were obliged to risk a march over the looser material upon its flank.  As there was nothing to be gained by waiting, off we went, Leo leading and step by step trying the snow.  To our joy we discovered that the sharp night frost had so hardened its surface that it would support us.  About half way down, however, where the pressure had been less, it became much softer, so that we were forced to lie upon our faces, which enabled us to distribute our weight over a larger surface, and thus slither gently down the hill.

All went well until we were within twenty paces of the bottom, where we must cross a soft mound formed of the powdery dust thrown off by the avalanche in its rush.  Leo slipped over safely, but I, following a yard or two to his right, of a sudden felt the hard crust yield beneath me.  An ill-judged but quite natural flounder and wriggle, such as a newly-landed flat-fish gives upon the sand, completed the mischief, and with one piercing but swiftly stifled yell, I vanished.

Any one who has ever sunk in deep water will know that the sensation is not pleasant, but I can assure him that to go through the same experience in soft snow is infinitely worse; mud alone could surpass its terrors.  Down I went, and down, till at length I seemed to reach a rock which alone saved me from disappearing for ever.  Now I felt the snow closing above me and with it came darkness and a sense of suffocation.  So soft was the drift, however, that before I was overcome I contrived with my arms to thrust away the powdery dust from about my head, thus forming a little hollow into which air filtered slowly.  Getting my hands upon the stone, I strove to rise, but could not, the weight upon me was too great.

Then I abandoned hope and prepared to die.  The process proved not altogether unpleasant.  I did not see visions from my past life as drowning men are supposed to do, but—­and this shows how strong was her empire over me—­my mind flew back to Ayesha.  I seemed to behold her and a man at her side, standing over me in some dark, rocky gulf.  She was wrapped in a long travelling cloak, and her lovely eyes were wild with fear.  I rose to salute her, and make report, but she cried in a fierce, concentrated voice—­“What evil thing has happened here?  Thou livest; then where is my lord Leo?  Speak, man, and say where thou hast hid my lord—­or die.”