They called again, and at last made out that the Englishman was above them. Then they said they were going to try to get to him and commenced the struggle. It was a hard task, and took not only their strength but also their breath. They could not see the man, and it was only by continual calling they finally located him.
"We all took a great tumble, don't you know!" cried Granbury Lapham. "Were you hurt?"
"Not enough to mention," answered Dave. "Where is the sleigh driver?"
"He tried to stop the horses, I think. They ran away after the sleigh turned over. I wanted to help and the first thing I knew I went down, too."
"Do you know where the road is?" asked Roger. "Not far above us. But I slipped back several times trying to get to it."
Now was no time to compare notes, and all three started to ascend the mountain side to where they thought the road must be located. As they could not get up the icy slopes they pushed on to where there was a stunted growth of pines. Here, by clinging to one tree after another, they at last reached a point where trudging through the snow became comparatively easy.
"I got a pretty bad scare when I came down the mountain side," said Granbury Lapham, when they stopped to rest. "A bear came along not more than fifty feet in front of me."
"A bear!" cried the two boys, simultaneously.
"Yes, and a mighty big fellow, too, I can tell you."
"What did you do?"