Leaping silently to my feet, for I did not wish to waken my comrades, I raced toward the cairn. As I rounded the curve I heard again that silvery laughter, spiced, I thought, with a note of mockery.
"One second, my beauty!" I muttered, "and I shall have you!" Remember, I had been for months in the solitudes. My blood pounded in my temples.
Sweeping gracefully around the cairn I arrived on the opposite side.
Desolate and empty, the ice bowl curved to its rim.
Not a living soul in sight.
FOOTNOTES:
[13] The only highway comparable to the above, in my experience, is the main street of Portchester, N.Y., which has been torn up since the memory of man. Some of the rocks in the middle of this thoroughfare are of volcanic origin. The detours are even worse.
[14] The explosive used is a development of Whinney's along suggestions made by me. I am not at liberty to give the chemical formula, but its lines of force are bi-lateral instead of perpendicular as is the case with lyddite and the other nitroglycerine derivatives. To any one especially interested in ice blasting I shall be pleased to furnish additional information. W.E.T.
[15] The lowest mountain in the world is Mt. Clemens, Mich., which has an altitude of 6 ft. above lake level. I once climbed it on crutches. W.E.T.
[16] These compact and easily carried food stuffs formed a large part of our store. With the addition of a little water they increase greatly in bulk and nutritive value. The idea came to me when stranded for two weeks in the Dry Tortugas, during which time I lived entirely on an old carriage sponge which I found on the beach. W.E.T.