m--that's it, no doubt--we've packed the sled tighter, and eaten it
down. Well, let's off now."

So saying, Roy threw the lines of the sledge over his shoulder and led
the way, followed by his sister, whose only burden was a light blanket,
fastened as a bundle to her shoulders, and a small tin can, which hung
at her belt.

The country through which they passed that day was almost destitute of
wood, being a series of undulating plains, with clumps of willows and
stunted trees scattered over it like islets in the sea. The land lay in
a succession of ridges, or steppes, which descended from the elevated
region they were leaving, and many parts of these ridges terminated
abruptly in sheer precipices from forty to sixty feet high.

The sun shone with dazzling brilliancy, insomuch that the travellers'
eyes became slightly affected by snow-blindness. This temporary
blindness is very common in these regions, and ranges from the point of
slight dazzlement to that of total blindness; fortunately it is curable
by the removal of the cause--the bright light of the sun on pure snow.
Esquimaux use "goggles" or spectacles made of wood, with a narrow slit
in them as a preventive of snow-blindness.

At first neither Roy nor Nelly felt much inconvenience, but towards
evening they could not see as distinctly as usual. One consequence of
this was, that they approached a precipice without seeing it. The snow
on its crest was so like to the plain of snow extending far below, that
it might have deceived one whose eyesight was not in any degree
impaired.

The first intimation they had of their danger was the giving way of the
snow that projected over the edge of the precipice. Roy fell over
headlong, dragging the sledge with him. Nelly, who was a few feet
behind him, stood on the extreme edge of the precipice, with the points
of her snow-shoes projecting over it. Roy uttered a cry as he fell, and
his sister stopped short. A shock of terror blanched her cheek and
caused her heart to stand still. She could not move or cry for a few
seconds, then she uttered a loud shriek and shrank backwards.

There chanced to be a stout bush or tree growing on the face of the
cliff, not ten feet below the spot where the snow-wreath had broken off.
Roy caught at this convulsively, and held on. Fortunately the line on
his shoulder broke, and the sledge fell into the abyss below. Had this
not happened, it is probable that he would have been dragge