t last to turn to the girl.

"I must go on. I gave my promise."

She nodded.

"It means Tollifer now. The descent is more dangerous."

"Do you know it?"

"Not as well as the other. If I only had something to guide me."

And as if in answer, the storm lifted for a moment. Gradually the wind
stilled, in one of those stretches of calm which seem to be only the
breeding spots of more terror, more bitterness. But they gave no heed
to that, nor to the red ball of the sun, faintly visible through the
clouds. Far below, miles in reality, straight jets of steam rose high
above black, curling smoke; faintly, distantly, whistles sounded. The
snowplows!

He gripped her arm with the sight of it, nor did she resist. Thrilled,
enthralled, they watched it: the whirling smoke, the shooting steam,
the white spray which indicated the grinding, churning progress of the
plows, propelled by the heavy engines behind. Words came from the
swollen lips of Houston, but the voice was hoarse, strained, unnatural:

"They've started the fight! They've--"

"It's on the second grade, up from Tollifer. It's fairly easy there,
you know, for ten or twelve miles. They're making that without
difficulty--their work won't come until they strike the snowsheds at
Crystal Lake. Oh--" and there was in the voice all the yearning, the
anxiety that a pent-up soul could know--"I wish I were a man now! I
wish I were a man--to help!"

"I hope--" and Houston said it without thought of bravado--"that I may
have the strength for both of us. I'm a man--after a sort. I'm going
to work with them."

"But--"

He knew what she meant and shook his head.

"No--she does not need me. My presence would mean nothing to her. I
can't tell you why. My place--is down there."

For an instant Medaine Robinette looked at him with frankly questioning
eyes, eyes which told that a thought was beginning to form somewhere
back in her brain, a question arising as to his guilt in at least one
of the things which circumstances had arrayed against him. Some way
Barry felt that she knew that a man willing to encounter the dangers of
a snowy range would hurry again to the side of the woman for whom he
had dared them, unless-- But suddenly she was speaking, as though to
divert her thoughts.

"We'll have about three hours--from the looks of the sky. Unless
conditions change quickly, there'll not be another blow before night.
It's our chance. We'd better cut thi