, which, though his mind had never been
clearer, reacted upon his failing physical powers, for it was now
evident that he and his companions could not reach the inlet while their
provisions held out. There was no longer any doubt that he had involved
the two faithful men in disaster, and the knowledge that he had done so
was bitter.

With haggard face he sat gazing up the ravine. Although he scarcely
imagined that either of the others had expected anything, he shrank from
going back as empty-handed as when he had left them. The light was
getting very dim, but he could still see the ice fringe upon the pool in
front of him, and a mass of rock that rose black against the creeping
dusk not very far away. Beyond it on the one side there seemed to be a
waste of stones amid which a few wreaths of snow still gleamed lividly.
Then a wall of rock scarcely distinguishable in the shadow shut in the
hollow.

The hollow was filled with the hoarse roar of the river and the sharp
crash and crackle of stream-driven ice, but by and by the worn-out man
started as he caught another faint sound which suggested the clink of a
displaced stone. His hands closed hard upon the rifle, but he sat very
still, listening with strained attention until he heard the sound again.
Then a thrill ran through him, for he was quite certain of it's meaning.
A stone had rolled over higher up the gorge, and he rose and crept
forward, cautiously, keeping the detached rock between him and the upper
portion of the ravine. Once or twice a stone clattered noisily beneath
his feet, and he stopped for a moment or two, wondering with tense
anxiety whether the sound could be heard at any distance through the
roar of the river. This was a much more serious business than crawling
through the long grass for a shot at the prairie antelope, when in ease
of success it had seemed scarcely worth while to pack the tough and
stringy venison back to the homestead.

By and by he heard the clatter of a displaced stone again, and this time
the sound was so distinct and near that it puzzled him. The wild
creatures of the waste were, he knew, always alert, and their perception
of an approaching danger was wonderful. It seemed strange that the beast
he was creeping in upon could not hear him, but he realized that he must
face the hazard of detection, since in another few minutes it would be
too dark to shoot. He had almost reached the rock by this time, and he
shifted his grasp on th