Part 33 (1/2)

”Let us yell that we are coming, and for them to wait,” suggested the old miner.

”That's it,” answered d.i.c.k. ”Now then, I'll lead off.”

And loud and clear rang the cry:

”_We are coming! We are coming! Wait for us! Wait! Wait!_”

To this some answer came back, but what it was they could not make out.

Then, in the silence that followed, they picked up their traps once more and went forward on the wearisome trail.

With each yard of advance the walking became more difficult. In some spots the rocks were covered with snow and they had to proceed with caution, for fear of a nasty tumble. They were climbing upward steadily and they noted with satisfaction that the cliffs seemed to become correspondingly lower.

”We'll be up there in quarter of an hour more,” said Jack Wumble. ”But don't ye try to go too fast. This trail is gittin' wuss an' wuss.”

At last they came to some rocks where further progress seemed impossible. There had been something of a landslide, and big rocks covered the footpath for a distance of a hundred feet or more.

They gazed around the spot in perplexity.

”Well, one thing is certain,” said Sam. ”Tom and that man must have come this way, If they could get over these rocks we ought to be able to do the same thing.”

”I think I see a way,” said d.i.c.k. ”Yes, here are some footprints in the snow and on this fallen tree. They climbed up by holding on to those branches. We can do the same thing.”

”Don't ye try it!” yelled Jack Wumble. ”Thet tree is loose! It might carry ye to the bottom of the mountain!”

”Hark!” called out Sam. ”I hear something! What is that?”

All listened. From a distance came a curious swis.h.i.+ng and cracking sound, followed by a wild sort of yell. Then came a crash--and then--utter silence.

CHAPTER XXII

IKE FURNER'S CAMP

”d.i.c.k, what was that?”

”I'm sure I don't know, Sam. Sounded like something falling.”

”It was a tree sliding down the mountain,” put in Jack Wumble. ”A tree jest like the one you was goin' to take hold on.”

”And somebody on it!” gasped Sam. ”Oh, do you suppose it was Tom?”

At this question the old miner shrugged his shoulders.

”Ain't no tellin', Sam. Let us hope not, fer if he went down the mountain side----”

”He'd be killed!” finished d.i.c.k, and shuddered.

They listened and called out. But no answer came back, and they heard nothing more but the humming of the wind through the trees, for it had begun to blow stronger than before.

”Let's go a little further than this trail,” suggested Jack Wumble.