e had better go together."

They started together.

By this time the whole ground was covered about three inches deep; not
enough to impede their progress; but it had the unfortunate effect of
effacing the distinct features of the ground; and, as the declining sun
could no longer struggle successfully through the atmosphere, which was
half air, half snow, they were almost in darkness, and soon lost their
way. They kept slanting unconsciously to the left, till they got over
one of the forks of the mountain and into a ravine: they managed to get
out of that, and continued to descend; for the great thing they had to
do was to reach the valley, no matter where.

But, after a long laborious, and even dangerous descent, they found
themselves beginning to ascend. Another mountain or hill barred their
progress. Then they knew they must be all wrong, and began to feel
rather anxious. They wished they had stayed up on the hill.

They consulted together, and agreed to go on for the present; it might
be only a small rise in the ground.

And so it proved. After a while they found themselves descending again.

But now the path was full of pitfalls, hidden by the snow and the
darkness.

Mr. Coventry insisted on going first.

In this order they moved cautiously on, often stumbling.

Suddenly Mr. Coventry disappeared with a sudden plunge, and rolled down
a ravine, with a loud cry.

Grace stood transfixed with terror.

Then she called to him.

There was no answer.

She called again.

A faint voice replied that he was not much hurt, and would try to get
back to her.

This, however, was impossible, and all he could do was to scramble along
the bottom of the ravine.

Grace kept on the high ground, and they called to each other every
moment. They seemed to be a long way from each other; yet they were
never sixty yards apart. At last the descent moderated, and Grace
rejoined him.

Then they kept in the hollow for some time, but at last found another
acclivity to mount: they toiled up it, laden with snow, yet perspiring
profusely with the exertion of toiling uphill through heather clogged
with heavy snow.

They reached the summit, and began to descend again. But now their
hearts began to quake. Men had been lost on Cairnhope before to-day,
and never found alive: and they were lost on Cairnhope; buried in the
sinuosities of the mountain, and in a tremendous snowstorm.

They wandered and staggered, sick at heart; since