hat?" demanded Mr. Porter.

"Somebody calling, I think." Dave ran out of the hollow and looked
upward through the falling snow. "Who calls?" he yelled, at the top of
his lungs.

"It is I, Granbury Lapham, and I have my brother and the others with
me. Is that you, Porter?"

"Yes."

"Have you found your father?"

"Yes."

"How is he?" came in another voice--the voice of Philip Lapham.

"He is hurt a little, but not much."

"I'll be all right if I can only get out of here," called Mr. Porter,
coming out so that he could look up the cliff. "We've been having our
own troubles with two bears and a pack of wolves."

"We thought there must be trouble--by the shots fired," said Granbury
Lapham. "That's why we started out in the darkness." He waved a torch in
the air. "Can you see us?"

"We can see a light," answered Dave. He took up the branch from the
fire. "Can you see our light?"

"Yes."

A long talk followed, and the party above, numbering four, said they had
brought along a good rope. This they lowered, and after not a little
difficulty Mr. Porter and Dave were raised up to the ledge above.

"There come the wolves again!" cried the youth, as he reached the ledge.
"Have you a shotgun with you?"

"Yes," said Philip Lapham. "Please lend it to me."

The weapon was passed over, and Dave blazed away twice in rapid
succession. A wild snarling and yelping followed, and then the wolves
disappeared; and that was the last seen of them.

"We are well out of that," murmured Mr. Porter. "And I am glad of it."

"And I am glad too," added Dave.

As it was snowing heavily the party did not waste time on the edge of
the cliff, but moved back to a small hut built on the mountain side and
which was easily located by the Norwegian guide. Here they found the
others of the exploring party, and here Mr. Porter and Dave were served
with a hot meal and made as comfortable as possible.

The snow lasted until noon of the next day, and then it grew clear and
much warmer. On the following day Dave and his father and the guide went
down the mountain to the sheep-station. Before they left they bade the
Laphams and the others good-bye, and Mr. Porter said he would leave the
question of locating the mines entirely in Philip Lapham's charge.

"You can draw on me for my full share of the expenses," said Mr. Porter.
"And if nothing comes of the venture I won't complain." It may be added
here that, later on, several mines of considerabl