Rock above their heads, and slowly making their way
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up the incline, they sought the shelter of a huge boulder; and there,
crouched together, they remained for several hours.

Meanwhile the party had remained in obedience to orders at the
head of the slope, and had shouted again and again in the lulls
of the whirling storm. But after waiting for a long time they felt
that something was amiss, and that it was hopeless to remain where
they were. 'As usual on such occasions,' Scott says, 'the leading
spirit came to the fore, and the five who now remained submitted
themselves to the guidance of Wild, and followed him in single file
as he again struck out in the direction in which they supposed the
ship to lie.' In this manner they descended for about 500 yards,
until Wild suddenly saw the precipice beneath his feet, and far
below, through the wreathing snow, the sea. He sprang back with
a cry of warning, but in an instant Vince had flashed past and
disappeared.

Then, horror-stricken and dazed, they vaguely realized that at all
costs they must ascend the slope down which they had just come. All
of them spoke afterwards of that ascent with horror, and wondered
how it had ever been made. They could only hold themselves by the
soles of their boots, and to slip to their knees meant inevitably
to slide backwards towards the certain fate below. Literally their
lives depended on each foothold. Wild alone had a few light nails
in his boots, and to his great credit he used this advantage to
give a helping hand in turn to each
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of his companions. When, after desperate exertions, they did reach