ember of the party,
the guide carrying long, slender but strong ropes that would be needed
if difficult climbs were attempted. Janus ceased his labors long
enough to drink a cup of coffee and eat some biscuit. He told the
girls to leave out enough bacon for the entire party for two meals,
figuring for three thin slices apiece to the meal. Margery demurred at
being limited to three thin slices of bacon. She declared she should
perish of hunger.

After luncheon the girls repaired to the hut to make ready for their
climb.

"Now, girls," began Miss Elting, "before starting I wish to caution you
that you must obey the guide. He understands mountain-climbing. I
have done a little climbing but not enough to qualify as an expert.
And, remember, no pranks while we are climbing; a single slip might
result seriously for all of us. Which way do we go, Mr. Grubb?"

"Around back of the Shelter. There is an easy trail leading up to the
top, but that isn't the way you want to go. You want to climb. You
shall. Have you your belts on?" He glanced over the girls critically.
"All right," he added, "follow me."

Janus led the way around a rear corner of the Shelter, after having
labeled and stowed their packs in the hut. He said they would be
perfectly safe there, that no one would disturb them. But the girls
were rather amazed when, instead of beginning to climb up, the guide
started down a sharp incline, calling to his charges to follow.

"Thith ithn't up," cried Tommy.

"We have to go through this gully first of all, then we begin going
up," he explained.

The couloir proved to be something of a hard proposition right at the
beginning. Jagged rocks, sudden narrow miniature gullies, bushes with
sharp thorns, slippery, treacherous shale, made the descent a trying
one. Once Margery lost her footing on one of these shale shelfs. She
fell flat on her back and slid screaming a full twenty yards, shooting
out on a grassy slope little the worse for her slide, except that she
had been badly frightened.

Tommy was delighted.

"Wouldn't Buthter make a fine toboggan?" she laughed.

Reaching the bottom of the gully, a long, narrow crevasse in the
mountain, they began the real ascent. Up and up they went, now and
then lying against a rock, to which they clung, out of breath from
their exertions, their faces flushed and warm. Far above them Janus
pointed out a little projection of rock that seemed no larger than a
human