The landlord shook his head and smiled when we told him we should return at noon to dinner, and we smiled, too, thinking he placed a low estimate on our capacity for walking.

But we had not gone far when we discovered the difficulties ahead.

Some places were so steep that I had to hold on to my companion's coat tails, while he held on to rocks and twigs, or braced himself with a heavy cane.

By the time we were halfway up we were in a dripping perspiration, our feet were soaking wet, and we were really too tired to proceed.

But, after starting with such supreme confidence in ourselves, we were ashamed to confess our fatigue to each other, and much more to return and verify all the prognostications of the host and his guides.