CHAPTER XIII.
AT THE SUMMIT OF CHILKOOT PASS.
At Sheep Camp, which lay in something of a hollow, there had been agoodly collection of trees and brush, but now, as the little partystarted on the journey to the summit of Chilkoot Pass, all this was leftbehind, and nothing confronted them but immense beds or glaciers ofsnow, which crunched under their feet and gave forth a hollow sound. Atcertain points they could plainly hear the rushing of water far beneath.
"Gracious, if a fellow went through this crust of snow what would happento him?" said Randy, as he trudged on, with his uncle just ahead of himand Earl behind.
"Let us hope that no such fate overtakes any of the party," replied Mr.Portney, gravely. "It is not likely that one can break through here," headded, "for the snow in the trail is pretty well packed down."
The blinding glare of the sun had caused all to put on their smokedglasses, or goggles, but now, as the great orb of day was lost to sightbehind the mountain tops, these protectors for the eyes were removed,that they might see their way clearer. The Alaskan twilight was creepingon them, causing all their surroundings to turn to a pale blue color.The mists of the mountains were also rising, and on every hand wereweird, ghostlike shadows which enhanced this scene of wild desolation.
On and on went the white members of the party, doing their best to keepthe sturdy Indian pack-carriers well in sight. But the red people, withtheir hideously painted faces, knew every foot of the way, and maderapid progress, and it was all the others could do at times to keep up.
By ten o'clock it began to grow colder, and even the boys could feel thecrust of snow on which they were trudging becoming firmer beneath theirfeet. It was far from dark, a pale glimmer of light hanging on everymountain top. But now the trail became suddenly steeper, and they foundthemselves going straight up the side of a hill several hundred feethigh.
"Plant your feet firmly at every step," were Foster Portney's words ofcaution. "And remember, looking back will do you no good."
This last warning was for Randy's benefit, for the lad had just lookedback and shivered over the awful descent below him. A fall would mean along roll, and a broken neck over a cliff below.
Captain Zoss had gone on ahead with the Indians and just before midnighthe came back with a warning to watch out for several splits, orcrevasses, in the glaciers they were now traversing.
"Salmon Head says he heard a report of several new ones just beforestarting, and these are as yet unmarked," he said.
"We'll be as careful as we can," said Dr. Barwaithe. "We can do nomore."
They now passed over a broad plain of snow where the mists hung morethickly than ever. They had almost reached the centre of the plain whena loud cry from the Indians ahead caused them to halt.
"What can be the meaning of that?" questioned Earl. "Can they be introuble?"
Presently, from among the mists appeared the form of one of the Indiancarriers, without his bundle. He soon explained in broken English thathe had been sent back by Salmon Head to warn them of a split in the icefield just ahead. One of the Indian women had slipped in, and it was bymere good fortune that some of the men had rescued her.
This Indian remained with them until the crack was reached, where heresumed his pack and went on. The opening was an irregular one, fromfour to eight feet wide and of unfathomable depth. Fortunately the sideswere well defined and firm, so they had small trouble in leapingacross.
"It was good of them to send a man back," said the doctor, as he pausedto peer down into the crevasse. "Had we not been warned we might haveslipped into that without knowing it."
The trail now wound in and out among a number of small hills, and onceagain the party ahead was lost to sight. With the increasing cold came astiff wind through the passes, bringing down upon their heads averitable storm of snow, swept from the mountain tops above.
"I can readily understand how impossible it would be to make one's waythrough this Pass during the winter," said Dr. Barwaithe. "A regularfall of snow would mean a blizzard down here and a snowing in from whichthere would be no escape until spring arrived."
"And think of the cold!" said Earl. "Phew! the thermometer must go toabout forty below zero!"
"It does go as low as that at times," replied his uncle. "No; travellingthrough this Pass during the long Alaskan winter is entirely out of thequestion. The man to undertake it would be a madman."
They had come to the end of the comparatively level portion of thetrail, and now climbing so dangerous was at hand that little more wassaid. From one steep icy elevation they would crawl to the next, untilseveral hundred feet up. Then came a turn around a cliff where thepassageway was scarcely two feet wide, with a wall on one side and whatappeared misty, bottomless space on the other. Here the Indians hadfastened a hand-rope which each was glad enough to clutch as he wormedhis way along to safer ground.
"Well, I don't want any more of that!" said Earl, with a long sigh ofrelief. "A slip there, and it would be good-by, sure!"
"Yes, and I guess they would never even get your body," added Randy.
There was no time left to halt, for the Indians were pressing on, theirendurance, and especially the endurance of the women and the boys,proving a constant wonder to Randy and Earl, the latter declaring thatthey must be tougher than pine knots to stand it.
"One more big climb, boys, and we'll be at the summit!" was the welcomeannouncement made by Captain Zoss; but when Earl and Randy looked at theclimb he mentioned their hearts fairly sank within them and theywondered how in the world they were going to make it without its costingthem their lives.
An almost sheer wall of ice and snow confronted them, rising in anirregular form to a height of four hundred feet. This cliff, if such itmight be called, was more light at its top than at the base, andconsequently it appeared to stand out towards them as they gazed up atit. Along the face the Indian pack-carriers were crawling, like flies ona lumpy whitewashed wall.
"We can't do--" began Randy, when he felt his arm pinched by Earl.
"We must do it, Randy," came back in a whisper. "The Indians are doingit, and so can we--if we'll put our grit into it."
"Now take it slow and be sure of one foot before you move the next,"said Foster Portney, warning them again. "Dig as deeply into the ice andsnow as you can. And above all things, Randy and Earl, _don't lookback_!" And the uncle shook his fist to emphasize his words.
A breathing spell was taken, and then they started slowly for the baseof the cliff, where Captain Zoss got down on his knees to make sure thatthey were on the right trail, if trail it could be called. He soonannounced that one party had gone up at one place and the others at aspot about thirty feet to the left.
"I'll try my luck here," he said, and the doctor agreed to follow him.There was no telling which trail was the better, and the Portneys tookthe other, Mr. Portney going first, with Randy next and Earl last. Theuncle wished to make sure of the footing before he allowed the boys tocome after him.
The first hundred feet up were not as difficult as Randy and Earl hadimagined, but now every step had to be calculated, and when half way upFoster Portney came to a halt.
"Here's a very steep place," he announced, without, however, lookingback. "Randy, when you reach it, catch hold of the spur of ice with yourleft hand and put your foot just beneath it. Tell Earl to do the same."
"I will," answered Randy, but when the spot mentioned was reached poorRandy's heart leaped into his throat. The sheer wall before him wasnearly as high as a house, and there was nothing to cling to but littlelumps of ice which stuck out here and there. The lumps might crack off,and then--he did not dare to think further than that. He was strangelytempted to look below him, but his uncle's words of warning rang in hisears--"_Don't look back!_" and he did not.
One step was taken, and then another, and Randy felt as if he wassuspended in the air, with nothing above or beneath him. A brief visionof himself lying mangled far below flashed across his mind, and hewished himself safe back i
n the woods of Maine again. What was all thegold in Alaska worth alongside of such an agonizing risk of life asthis?
But he must go on; he could not remain where he was forever. The nextstep was even more difficult, and he held his breath as he took it. Hehad been climbing up the cliff for less than quarter of an hour, yet hefelt a year older than when he had begun. Would the climb never come toan end?
"Take it easy, boys; we are almost there," came the encouraging voice ofFoster Portney, although the uncle was almost as fearful as hisnephews. "A little to the right now, and beware of those snow lumps;they are not firm enough to hold to. I can see the top just above myhead. Ah, here I am. Now, Randy, another step and give me your hand.Now, Earl, take the same step Randy took. There you are. Thank God weare safe so far!"
The two boys echoed their uncle's sentiment, with a deep feeling intheir hearts which they never forgot. The summit of Chilkoot Pass hadbeen reached at last.