StNicholas [serial] . imber-line, fully1500 feet, as steep as the roofof a house and smoother thanthe smoothest glass. How broadit was we could only conjecture. As we came up, Kellogg struckthe crust with the butt of hisgun, and I threw a rock uponthe surface, which went sliding and boundingdown the steep face with terrific velocity. We looked at each other in despair. Itsno use, I said. Not a bit, was the answer. We sat down and talked it over. To retraceour steps was out of the question, and we couldnot climb to the top of the field, probably athousand feet, in our weakened condition. Sudden
StNicholas [serial] . imber-line, fully1500 feet, as steep as the roofof a house and smoother thanthe smoothest glass. How broadit was we could only conjecture. As we came up, Kellogg struckthe crust with the butt of hisgun, and I threw a rock uponthe surface, which went sliding and boundingdown the steep face with terrific velocity. We looked at each other in despair. Itsno use, I said. Not a bit, was the answer. We sat down and talked it over. To retraceour steps was out of the question, and we couldnot climb to the top of the field, probably athousand feet, in our weakened condition. Suddenly Kellogg leaped to his feet andrushed toward the slippery mass, crying out, Come on, we ve got to do it. I 11 take minethis way. Without a second thought, in myhopeless desperation I followed. By using hisgun as a brace Kellogg kept his feet; but Islipped and fell on all-fours anil began slidingdown. In a wild frenzy I tried to drive mybare fingers through the crust, but only suc-ceeded in tearing the skin off LYING ON MY FACE 1 HELD TIGHTLY ON TO THE RIFLE DRIVEN DEEPTHROUGH THE CRUST. Luckily, I had retained my rifle, and by afrantic effort drove it muzzle first through thehard crust and came to a stop, having goneabout twenty feet. Had it not been for this 422 STORM-BOUND ABOVE THE CLOUDS. [Mar. fortunate move my body would have beenhurled to the bottom of the gorge more than athousand feet below, and mangled beyond allsemblance of human form. Looking up at my companion I saw that hehad turned away his head, unwilling to be awitness of my horrible fate; but as I called outto him he looked around, and I saw a faceso white and horror-stricken that I can neverforget it. Cold beads of sweat stood on myforehead, and I felt that my courage was allgone. The experience of that awful momentalmost unnerved me, and I was weak andhelpless as a little child. Lying on my face I held on tightly to therifle driven deep through the crust. How to re-gain my footing was a puzzle. Kell
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Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
