Part 35 (1/2)

”I ian ju and slender pole he had brought along Of a sudden he sank up to his waist Then he stuck his pole down ahead of hiorously

”We can't drive through there,” said Dave ”Nohat's to be done?”

Roger and Granbury Laphaan an inspection of the ground to the left Here was another ridge He said theyelse to do

”All right, anything so long as we get to Bojowak!” cried Dave

The sleigh was turned partly around and the horses tugged and labored bravely to get through the snow on the new route They went up a se that did not appear to be more than two yards wide At one point there was a sharp decline on the left

”We'll have to be careful here!” cried the Englishman to the driver

”Othere may all take a tuh ran up on a rock on one side and plunged into a hollow on the other In a twinkling the turnout was upset Dave felt himself pitched out and rolled over and over before he could stop himself Then he went down and down, he knew not whither His hand touched that of Roger, and instinctively the two chu to each other The snow filled their eyes, ears, and noses, and alht, and then suddenly all became pitch-dark around them

For several seconds after they fell neither spoke, for each was busy collecting his scattered senses They were side by side on their backs and the snoas still all around the, and crawled into it

”Roger, are you all right?”

”I--I guess so!” ca voice ”But I must have rolled ov--er a hun--hundred ti express, didn't we?”

”Where are we, and where is the sleigh?”

”Don't ask me We're at the bottom of some place Come here, there is more room to breathe”

The senator's son followed Dave into the opening the latter had found

All was so dark here they could not see a thing They stood close together, fearing to take another step

”hello! hello!” yelled Dave, when he had his breath back, and Roger quickly joined in the cry To their consternation there was no answer

”Most likely the others went down, too,” said Dave

”Then they ought to be near here”

”Unless they slipped clear down to the bottoood-bye to them”

”Oh, do you think they've been killed, Dave?”

”I don't knohat to think Let us call again”

They did so, a dozen times or more But no answer came back All around the their outfit Dave had invested in a pocket lantern, and this he now brought forth and lit By the tiny rays he made out that they had tue rocks, over which the snow and ice hung thickly A big bank of snoas in front of the space of uncertain depth