down the icy way quicker
than any express train that ever travelled, and they with them?

One thing was certain: did they remain unbroken for another two or three
million years, and that is a short life for a stone, they would never
again make so strange a journey.

Then the three toiled on to the top of the snow-slope, which was about
four hundred yards away.

"Look, Baas," said Otter, who had turned to gaze a fond farewell at the
gulf behind; "there are people yonder on the further side."

He was right. On the far brink of the crevasse were the forms of men,
who seemed to be waving their arms in the air and shouting. But whether
these were the priests who, having overcome the resistance of Olfan, had
pursued the fugitives to kill them, or the soldiers of the king who had
conquered the priests, the distance would not allow them to see. The
fate of Olfan and the further domestic history of the People of the Mist
were now sealed books to them, for they never heard any more of these
matters, nor are they likely to do so.

Then the travellers began to descend from field to field of snow, the
great peak above alone remaining to remind them that they were near to
the country of the Mist. Once they stopped to eat a little of such food
as they had with them, and often enough to rest, for their strength was
small. Indeed, as they dragged themselves wearily forward, each of the
men holding Juanna by the hand, Leonard found himself wondering how it
came about, putting aside the bodily perils from which they had escaped,
that they had survived the exhaustion and the horrors, physical and
mental, of the last forty-eight hours.

But there they were still alive, though in a sorry plight, and before
evening they found themselves below the snow line in a warm and genial
climate.

"I must stop," said Juanna as the sun began to set; "I can drag myself
no further."

Leonard looked at Otter in despair.

"There is a big tree yonder, Baas," said the dwarf with an attempt at
cheerfulness, "and water by it. It is a good place to camp, and here the
air is warm, we shall not suffer from cold. Nay, we are lucky indeed;
think how we passed last night."

They reached the tree, and Juanna sank down half fainting against its
bole. With difficulty Leonard persuaded her to swallow a little meat
and a mouthful of spirit, and then, to his relief, she relapsed into a
condition with partook more of the nature of stupor than of sleep.

CH