nine o'clock
It was a dismal and chilly business . A few stars were shining , but the general heavens were overcast , and the great shaft of the Matterhorn was draped in a cable pall of clouds . The chief guide advised a delay ; he said he feared it was going to rain . We waited until nine o'clock , and then got away in tolerably clear weather . Our course led up some terrific steeps , densely wooded with larches and cedars , and traversed by paths which the rains had guttered and which were obstructed by loose stones . To add to the danger and inconvenience , we were constantly meeting returning tourists on foot and horseback , and as constantly being crowded and battered by ascending tourists who were in a hurry and wanted to get by . Our troubles thickened .