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Updated: May 9, 2025
Far down a light or two glimmered in the chalets of La Brenva. Garratt Skinner emptied the Rücksack on his knees. "Let us see what food we have," he said. "We made a mistake in not bringing more. But Pierre was so certain that we should reach Chamonix to-night." "We shall die to-night," said Pierre. "Nonsense," said Garratt Skinner. "We are not the first party which has been caught by the night."
This accident occurred in 1866, a year and a month after the disaster on the Matterhorn. Three adventurous English gentlemen, of great experience in mountain-climbing, made up their minds to ascend Mont Blanc without guides or porters. All endeavors to dissuade them from their project failed. Powerful telescopes are numerous in Chamonix.
You will see differently in a few years. Meanwhile we had better talk about something else." It was the first break in the perfect ease and harmony that reigned between them on this ideal holiday. From Chamonix they went on by the Tete-Noire to Martigny, where they stopped to rest, as the weather was stiflingly hot.
Here and there the ridge sinks between the peaks, and one such depression between the Aiguille de Blaitière and the Aiguille du Grépon is called the Col des Nantillons. To cross that pass, to descend on the other side of the great rock-wall into that bay of ice facing Chamonix, which is the Glacier des Nantillons, had been Lattery's idea. Chayne turned to the porter. "When did this come?"
As Chayne took it, the guide spoke again, and his voice shook: "Monsieur, you have been a good patron to me," he said, with a quiet and most dignified simplicity, "and I make you what return I can. I have spoken to you out of my heart, for you will not return to Chamonix and after to-night we shall not meet again."
"Then we will go to Chamonix." They spent the afternoon drifting about in a little sailing boat. The beautiful lake produced far less impression upon Arthur than the gray and muddy Arve. He had grown up beside the Mediterranean, and was accustomed to blue ripples; but he had a positive passion for swiftly moving water, and the hurried rushing of the glacier stream delighted him beyond measure.
After a bad night, attended by fever caused by the sunstrokes encountered in our expedition, we made ready to return to Chamonix; but, before setting out, we inscribed the names of our guides and the principal events of our journey, according to the custom, on the register kept for this purpose at the Grands-Mulets. About eight o'clock we started for Chamonix.
Once past its great ice-fall, the glacier leads without difficulty to the Montanvert hotel and Chamonix. But the Col des Nantillons is another affair.
Chayne sent for them. "Yes," they said. "At half past two this morning, the climbing party descended from the rocks on to the ice-fall of the glacier. They should be at the hut at the Grands Mulets now, on the other side of the mountain, if not already in Chamonix. Perhaps monsieur would wish for porters to-morrow." "No," said Chayne.
He thought only of the burden which through this long day he would have to carry on his back. "Yes, that is right," he said. "We will take what we need for the day. To-night we shall be in Chamonix." And thus the party set off with no provision against that most probable of all mishaps the chance that sunset might find them still upon the mountain side.
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