Part 23 (1/2)

Little by little the landscape broadened before theed shore line which lay there like a vision ht be a point of land on the continent of North Aht be the side of an island Phi thought of this in a vague sort of way

His chief desire to put foot oncethat did not drift ind and tide, he bent every effort to oal

At last, after what seele, he stood within a quarter of aon that shore, a scene of disordered grandeur beyond description It was as if the streets of a city, six or eight feet in thickness and solid as lide length upon length in wild confusion For so stood upon the last broad pan that did not pile and, lost in speechless wonder, viewed that marvel of nature with the eyes of unconcerned spectators

At last the boy shook himself free from the charm ”Rover,” there e in his tone, ”do you knoe must do? We must cross that and reach that shore before the wind shi+fts or we are lost”

As if understanding his , the dis of the Arctic

”Well--here goes!”

Phi scra raced across its surface, leaped a narrow chasain Such an obstacle race had never before been entered into by a boy and a dog

Rover, seeer days, folloell Once, with a dismal howl, he fell into a crevice, but before an ice-pan could rear up and crush hied him free

They had made two-thirds of the distance when, on a broad pan that shuddered as if torn by an earthquake, Phi paused One glance at the rocky coast brought a sharp exclamation to his lips

”It's like the wall of a prison,” he ht up

”No,” he whispered a moment later, ”there's a bare chance--that rocky shelf But it's fifteen feet above the ice, and how's one to reach it?

There ain Each fresh escape brought theers Here they were lifted in air, to leap away just in time from a crash Here they crossed a pile of crushed and slivered frag pool of salt water waiting to sting them into insensibility But always there was a way out Eachwall

A last, close-up survey told the boy that there was no path, no slanting incline, no rugged steps to the shelf above But from the shelf upward there appeared to be a possible ascent

At thatthathundreds of feet frolide upward over a o as high as the shelf if it hasn't too o up And it may crash But it's our only chance”

He looked at the dog That the old fellow could e of a giant, tilting cake of ice and ride up--up--up, inch by inch and foot by foot, to pause there a breathless distance in mid-air and then at the one critical second, leap to safety on the rocky shelf, the boy did not drea Rover behind

”Coo down together”

Mounting the tilting e and stood therein the very midst of one of nature'sminute passed--two--three They were now ten feet in air; the shelf, a yawning distance still before theht of them an ice-pan half the size of the one on which they rode, having come within some ten feet of the wall, broke and crulided on Now they were fifteen feet fro jue But there was the dog There ca sound, then silence The pan had broken in two

Half of it had broken off under the strain The part on which they rode still stood firm They were noenty feet in air A dark pool of water lay beneath thelance at the blue heavens and the blinking stars; then, stooping, he picked up the dog and held hinificent symbol of calm in theupward, holding his breath, as if in fear that the very force of itto the abyss below Phi waited the closing of the gap

Eight feet, seven, six, five, four

”Now!” he breathed