"Take it easy, boys; we are almost there," came the encouraging voice of
Foster Portney, although the uncle was almost as fearful as his
nephews. "A little to the right now, and beware of those snow lumps;
they are not firm enough to hold to. I can see the top just above my
head. Ah, here I am. Now, Randy, another step and give me your hand.
Now, Earl, take the same step Randy took. There you are. Thank God we
are safe so far!"

The two boys echoed their uncle's sentiment, with a deep feeling in
their hearts which they never forgot. The summit of Chilkoot Pass had
been reached at last.

CHAPTER XIV.

BOAT-BUILDING AT LAKE LINDERMAN.

The Portneys, having reached the highest point of Chilkoot Pass, were
presently joined by Captain Zoss and Dr. Barwaithe, who had gone through
a similar experience to that just described. The doctor had once come
very close to losing his footing, and he declared that he would not make
the climb again for a million dollars.

They stopped for a few minutes to view the scene from the edge of the
cliff. On either side were the still taller mountains, while below them
stretched that portion of the Pass just travelled, like a valley of
glittering ice, thick with mist and wind-swept snow. An intense silence
reigned, broken occasionally by the booming and crunching of some
immense glacier in the distance.

"A grand scene, but one not particularly suited to my feelings," said
the doctor. "Let us go on."

"Yes; the sooner we git out o' this yere Pass, the better I will be
pleased," added the captain. "I've had enough climbin' ter last me two
lifetimes, eh?" and he gave a grunt and strode off, and the others
followed.

"That is, I believe, the most perilous part of the trip to the gold
fields," remarked Foster Portney. "Of course we have still a good bit of
rough country to traverse and rapids in the rivers to shoot, but nothing
quite so bad as that."

The ice fields from the summit sloped gradually downward to a basin some
distance below, called Crater Lake. This little lake was frozen solid
from top to bottom and covered with snow. It was hemmed in on three
sides by tall mountains, while on the fourth there was a canyon-like
opening, where an ice-bound stream led the way over rocks and tiny
cliffs to Lake Linderman, at the end of the Pass. Just before reaching
the latter lake, they passed several large posts set up close to the
trail, which was now once more clearly defined.