ormed to the shape of a loop.

Yes, there it stood before us, that symbol of our vision which we had
sought these many years, and at the sight of it our hearts beat fast and
our breath came quickly. We noted at once that although we had not seen
it during our passage of the mountains, since the peaks ahead and the
rocky sides of the defile hid it from view, so great was its height that
it overtopped the tallest of them. This made it clear to us how it came
to be possible that the ray of light passing through the loop could fall
upon the highest snows of that towering pinnacle which we had climbed
upon the further side of the desert.

Also now we were certain of the cause of that ray, for the smoke behind
the loop explained this mystery. Doubtless, at times when the volcano
was awake, that smoke must be replaced by flame, emitting light of
fearful intensity, and this light it was that reached us, concentrated
and directed by the loop.

For the rest we thought that about thirty miles away we could make out a
white-roofed town set upon a mound, situated among trees upon the banks
of a wide river, which flowed across the plain. Also it was evident that
this country had a large population who cultivated the soil, for by
the aid of a pair of field glasses, one of our few remaining and most
cherished possessions, we could see the green of springing crops pierced
by irrigation canals and the lines of trees that marked the limits of
the fields.

Yes, there before us stretched the Promised Land, and there rose the
mystic Mount, so that all we had to do was to march down the snow slopes
and enter it where we would.

Thus we thought in our folly, little guessing what lay before us, what
terrors and weary suffering we must endure before we stood at length
beneath the shadow of the Symbol of Life.

Our fatigues forgotten, we returned to the tent, hastily swallowed some
of our dried food, which we washed down with lumps of snow that gave us
toothache and chilled us inside, but which thirst compelled us to eat,
dragged the poor yak to its feet, loaded it up, and started.

All this while, so great was our haste and so occupied were each of
us with our own thoughts that, if my memory serves me, we scarcely
interchanged a word. Down the snow slopes we marched swiftly and without
hesitation, for here the road was marked for us by means of pillars of
rock set opposite to one another at intervals. These pillars we observed
with satis