Eleven Thousand Feet Aloft

           NOTHINGofimportancehadoccurredhithertointhepassagethroughChili;butalltheobstaclesanddifficultiesincidenttoamountainjourneywereabouttocrowdonthetravelersnow.

           Oneimportantquestionhadfirsttobesettled.WhichpasswouldtakethemovertheAndes,andyetnotbeoutoftheirfixedroute?

           OnquestioningtheCATAPEZonthesubject,hereplied:

           "ThereareonlytwopracticablepassesthatIknowofinthispartoftheCordilleras."

           "ThepassofAricaisoneundoubtedlydiscoveredbyValdiviaMendoze,"saidPaganel.

           "Justso."

           "AndthatofVillaricaistheother."

           "Precisely."

           "Well,mygoodfellow,boththesepasseshaveonlyonefault;theytakeustoofaroutofourroute,eithernorthorsouth."

           "Haveyounoothertopropose?"askedtheMajor.

           "Certainly,"repliedPaganel."ThereisthepassofAntuco,ontheslopeofthevolcano,inlatitude,37degrees30’,or,inotherwords,onlyhalfadegreeoutofourway."

           "Thatwoulddo,butareyouacquaintedwiththispassofAntuco,CATAPEZ?"saidGlenarvan.

           "Yes,yourLordship,Ihavebeenthroughit,butIdidnotmentionit,asnoonegoesthatwaybuttheIndianshepherdswiththeherdsofcattle."

           "Oh,verywell;ifmaresandsheepandoxencangothatway,wecan,solet’sstartatonce."

           Thesignalfordeparturewasgivenimmediately,andtheystruckintotheheartofthevalleyofLasLejas,betweengreatmassesofchalkcrystal.Fromthispointthepassbegantobedifficult,andevendangerous.