“We’ll keep a little to the left, so as to get nearer to the snow, and where it seems easy walking we’ll take to it; but for the most part I shall keep to the division-line between the snow and the scrubby growth. It will be rough travelling; but we shall not have to cut our way through briars. I’ll lead now. Forward!”
They started at once, and soon found the journeying far more rough than either could have imagined, for what had looked in the distance a pebbly track was a slope burdened with blocks of shaley rock, which yielded to their tread, and slipped and rattled to such an extent that Bracy was glad to strike off higher still, towards the snow, which ran up in a beautiful curve towards one of the nearest mountains, round whose shoulder they could make a cut which would bring them out miles nearer their goal.
At the end of a couple of miles the bottom of the snow-slope was reached, and the line of demarcation was boldly marked, the flattened, broken stones ending at once, so that the leader stepped directly upon the dazzling crystals, which filled in all the little rifts and hollows, and treacherously promised smooth, easy going for miles. But Bracy was undeceived at the first step, for he plunged his leg to the knee in granular snow, as yielding and incoherent as so much sand. Withdrawing it, he walked on a few steps and tried again, to find the frozen particles just as yielding; while Gedge had the same experience.
“Not much chance o’ sliding and skating over this stuff, sir,” he cried.
“No. It is impossible. We should be done up at the end of a mile. We must keep to the rocks and stones.”
Bracy was looking wistfully at the soft, tempting-looking expanse, when a quick movement on Gedge’s part took his attention.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Didn’t you say we must soon be thinking of shooting something for rations?”
“Yes. But it is too soon yet. We don’t want anything more to carry. But what can you see?”
“Looks like a drove o’ somethings, sir—goats, I think—right across the snow yonder, where there’s a dark mark like rocks. I can’t quite make ’em out; for I dessay it’s a couple o’ miles away; but it’s moving.”