weighing many
tons, flung high in air and tossed about like so many corks. One might
have thought that Titans were disporting themselves as did the fabled
gods on Mount Olympus. As the inconceivable mountain of snow crashed
onward it spread out at the base of the range, and finally settled to
rest. Had an ordinary town been in its path it would have been buried
to the tops of the highest steeples.

Nearly all this had taken place before the three spectators heard the
deep, thunderous roar that rolled across the space and told of the
stupendous mass that had been loosened by the undermining rays of the
sun or by some trifling disturbance of the atmosphere.

"If we should be caught in anything like that," said Victor, "it would
take us a good while to dig out."

"My brothers might _never_ dig out," said Deerfoot.

"What is there to hinder?"

"There are many stones and rocks and boulders tumbling about in the
snow, and they would be likely to kill us."

"Then, Deerfoot, you must keep your eyes open for avalanches. It would
be pretty hard for the horses, though Zigzag has sort of got used to
it."

Little need for warning the Shawanoe of his duty. That was what he had
been attending to all his life. He had never placed himself and friends
in the way of an impending avalanche. Recalling their course since
leaving the village, the brothers understood better than before the
cause of more than one tortuous winding by their guide, when they had
been unable to guess the reason for such quixotic turns that did not
lessen the labor of traveling itself.

It was not yet midday, and the halt was not made for food for either
man or beast. In truth, grass was so scarce, except here and there in
the sheltered nooks and depressions, that some dependence would have to
be placed for awhile on the barks of trees. Zigzag showed a meekness
that roused distrust on the part of the boys. He must have found the
heavy pack quite onerous, but he did not rebel. Whirlwind showed little
lessening of his aristocratic tastes, and refused to mingle on anything
like equal terms with the common stock around him.

When Deerfoot and his companions were journeying westward they decided
to return by a different route from the Blackfoot country. Their first
intention was to travel eastward until they reached the upper waters of
the Mississippi, and then make their way down that stream to
civilization, following in a general way the course of the mighty