t to view behind
the falling curtains of the night. The Kurdish tents far down the slope,
and the white curling smoke from their evening camp-fires, we could see no
more; only the occasional bark of a dog was borne upward through the
impenetrable darkness.

Colder and colder grew the atmosphere. From 39 deg. the thermometer gradually
fell to 36 deg., to 33 deg., and during the night dropped below freezing-point.
The snow, which fell from the clouds just over our heads, covered our
frugal supper-table, on which were placed a few hard-boiled eggs, some
tough Turkish bread, cheese, and a bottle of tea mixed with raki. Ice-tea
was no doubt a luxury at this time of the year, but not on Mount Ararat,
at the height of eleven thousand feet, with the temperature at
freezing-point. M. Raffl was as cheerful as could be expected under the
circumstances. He expressed his delight at our progress thus far; and now
that we were free from our "gentlemen" attendants, he considered our
chances for success much brighter. We turned in together under our single
blanket, with the old gentleman between us. He had put on every article of
clothing, including gloves, hat, hood, cloak, and heavy shoes. For pillows
we used the provision-bags and camera. The bottle of cold tea we buttoned
up in our coats to prevent it from freezing. On both sides, and above us,
lay the pure white snow; below us a huge abyss, into which the rocky ridge
descended like a darkened stairway to the lower regions. The awful
stillness was unbroken, save by the whistling of the wind among the rocks.
Dark masses of clouds seemed to bear down upon us every now and then,
opening up their trapdoors, and letting down a heavy fall of snow. The
heat of our bodies melted the ice beneath us, and our clothes became
saturated with ice-water. Although we were surrounded by snow and ice, we
were suffering with a burning thirst. Since separating from our companions
we had found no water whatever, while the single bottle of cold tea we had
must be preserved for the morrow. Sleep, under such circumstances, and in
our cramped position, was utterly impossible. At one o'clock the morning
star peeped above the eastern horizon. This we watched hour after hour, as
it rose in unrivaled beauty toward the zenith, until at last it began to
fade away in the first gray streaks of the morning.

[Illustration: THE WALL INCLOSURE FOR OUR BIVOUAC AT ELEVEN THOUSAND
FEET.]

By the light of a flickerin