The Gold Trail

wing dark when Weston scramble

steep to get down," he announced. "I worked along the edge o

," said Kinnaird. "We shall have

ed around h

onder. You should keep fairly warm there c

drawing him aside, spoke forcibly, and

. After all, the great thing is to keep

omewhere within call,

aird there with some difficulty, and when she and the others had crept into the shelter and wrapped the blankets round them, he turned away and stretched himself out beneath the largest s

probably reached no great height, but summer was only commencing, and it was evidently freezing. Indeed, the nights had been cold enough when he lay well wrapped up in the sheltered valley. Still, the mist, at least, climbed no higher. The stars were twinkling frostily, an

hat he commenced a struggle with himself, for, numbed as he was, he did not want to move, which is one of the insidious effects of cold. It cramps its victim's volition as well as his body, and makes him shrink from any attempt at the musc

thered his resolution together. Then, stripping off his deerskin jacket, he flung it over one arm as he turned toward

get down," he said. "It would be b

reflectively, "I th

t she seemed bent on staying. Then Kinnaird made a sign to Weston, who quietly slipped his arm within the girl's and drew her away. Sh

ird--" she began, but Weston checke

ever, I suppose I'm responsible for the safety of the whole

da that she could have done very little beyond helping to keep he

feel as comfortable as usual, or

latter was the case, and

ave had only one meal since early yesterday morning, and I shall be especially fortunate if I can get back here with the Indians by noon.

m with a little

e right. Still, is it necessary

n lau

s until we reach level ground," he replied. "In the

him. He stood close by her in loose blue shirt and thin duck trousers, and, as

't," s

most direct means available. In the present instance he felt very compassionate toward his companion, and recognized only the necessity of getting her bac

ave it here. I'll leave you for a minute or two while I pr

and snow, with the valley yawning, a vast dusky pit, beneath her feet. It was appallingly lonely, and she was numb with cold, while, since she was sure that she could not climb back to her companions unassisted, there was

for the next few hu

aw his face contract as they scrambled over some shelf of jutting stone; but they pushed on cautiously until they came to a precipitous descent. Ida sat down gasping, when her companion stopped, and gazed with an instinctive shrinking into the gulf below. S

e to the left. We'll follow the crest of i

up at the gleaming snow on the opposite side of it. She seemed to be walking in mid-air, cut off from the comfortable security of the solid earth below, and she found the clamor of falling water that came faintly up to her vague

imp became more perceptible too, but he went on with an almost cruel persistency, and forced her forward with his hand

at they could scarcely keep a footing, and now and then they fell into the trees. There were places where these grew so close together that they could scarcely force a passage through, and others where they had gone down before a screaming gale and lay piled in a tangled chaos over which it was almost impossible to flounder. It wa

an't go on,

er very compassionately, though she noticed that his face,

think,"

ied Ida, "I onl

quietly laid his hand on her a

are up yonder in the frost with nothing to e

go on," the gir

shook h

uld have to come back here for you, and I expect that in the daylight we shall find a shorter way up.

in the gray of the morning, they staggered out upon the bank of the river. Walking, half awake, Ida floundered among the boulders and through a horrible maze of whitened driftwood cast up by the stre

oward them, stumbling in a ludicrous fashion amidst the boulders, and then stopped a few yards away and gazed at Ida. The girl could scarcel

e they?"

rd limping, and his

as hurt her knee. Nothing serious, but it hurts her to

is hand res

Get Miss Stirling something to

ily getting together provisions, and the Indians were already hewing down two slender firs. When they stood waiti

rtake that climb. We'll be back again in a few

for no very evident reason, the color crept i

way themselves?" she asked.

shook h

ave nothing to eat up yonder, and the Indian

r a moment with

nnaird, and then go to s

curious expression at a little smear of blood on a smooth white stone. There were further red

cut his foot, and he couldn't have

f a break-down, and Mrs. Kinnaird, who saw how white her face was

he tent and gazed expectantly up the steep hillside. Still, each time she did it, there was nothing that she cou

moved a little, and once or twice she murmured unintelligibly. It was very hot, for the sunrays str

n they moved out upon the dazzling river and slowly covered it. Mrs. Kinnaird, rising once more in an agony of i

needn't be anxious. He is qu

ft Mrs. Kinnaird a little comforted. The latter was observant, and she felt that Ida

s mingled with the clamor of the river. Almost as she did so, a few plodding figures appeared beneath the firs, and she saw that two of them carried a litter between them. Then she saw her

rt much," he said harsh

eavily. None of them troubled themselves about him, and Ida, who had risen when she heard their voices, helped to convey Miss Kinnaird into the tent. In the meanwhile one of the Indians growled to his comrade when he found the fire out, and stolidly proceeded to relight it, while

of the way were simply awful. They had to cut the little trees down for yards at a time to get my blanket litter through, and there were places so s

t the major

eemed to disconcert that young man. He must have been horribly worn out, for he had been up twice, but he was so s

d on the white stones when the packer had sta

ou safely down," he said. "We owe him a good deal, and I'll go out presently

a persisted that she would get over the

the meal. The brown-skinned, dark-haired man appeared in

upper plates. "Want piece shirt-handker

t one another, and Kinnaird