anche and then spent some
time getting past the men who were unloading a row of flat cars. The
single-line track was cut out of the rock and one ran a risk of
glissading down to the river by venturing outside its edge. Once,
indeed, a heavy beam, thrown too far, plunged down like a toboggan, and
leaping from a rock's crest splashed into the flood. The men on the
cars worked in furious haste, and it was difficult to avoid the
clanging rails they threw off.

Foster got past, but did not find walking easy when he had done so.
The track wound among the folds of the hills, and where the sun had
struck the snow there was a slippery crust, through which he broke.
Where it ran past tall crags and between the trees, the snow was dry
and loose as dust. They made something over two miles in the first
hour and soon afterwards came to the mouth of a snowshed. The opening
made a dark blotch on the glittering slope, for the roof was pitched at
a very small angle to the declivity and the snow passed down hill over
it with scarcely a wrinkle.

It was only when they entered they saw signs of man's work in the
massive beams and stringers that braced the structure. These were
presently lost in the gloom and Foster stumbled among the ties.
Shingle ballast rolled under his feet; where he found a tie to step on
it was generally by stubbing his toe, and once or twice he struck the
side of the shed.

For all that, he pushed on as fast as possible. The warning he had
been given was indefinite, but it looked as if a train was shortly
expected and the locomotive, with its outside cylinders, would not give
them much room. He imagined that refuges would be provided at
intervals, but did not know where to find them. Now and then they
stopped to listen, but heard nothing. There was deep silence, which
was a relief, and they blundered on again as fast as they could. It
was rather daunting work and one could not make much speed, but when a
faint, muffled throbbing reached them they began to run.

Foster had no means of guessing the length of the shed, and as he
slipped among the ballast looked anxiously in front, but could not see
the glimmering patch of light he expected. The darkness was
impenetrable, but the contour of the hillside had indicated that the
shed was curved, and the outlet might be nearer than he thought. In
the meantime, the sweat ran down his face and his breath came hard. He
was in good training, for his journeys am