At Bezheeta they had obtained bread and a little cheese, the latter being a great treat, for they had been some days without any. The bear steaks had been consumed before they reached the village. They sat on their blankets back of the little fire and ate the bread and cheese with great relish. For drink, of which they did not care for much, they melted fresh snow in the cup.
As the boys sat munching their supper they looked out on a very Arctic landscape. They were at the upper end of the ravine they had been following up, and only a short distance from the summit, with an outlook that would, in daylight, embrace many miles of the north side of the range. The sky had cleared after the storms of the day, and a full moon, just above the crests in the east, flooded with a soft light the rocky cliffs and ravines that were rounded with their covering of white.
The overhanging cliff which formed the boys’ shelter was draped from its upper edge with frozen snow, which even hung down in front and gave the appearance of an ice grotto. The only relief from the prevailing white radiance was afforded by the bare rock of the cliff at the back. Even that was picked out in ruddy lights reflected from the fire.
That fire was the saving feature of the whole scene. Outside, the prospect was one of Arctic desolation, but inside, the impression given by the cheerful blaze was one of comfort and warmth.
The boys soon imbibed the cheer of their immediate surroundings, and were promptly fortified by their supper. Both of them had been exhausted as much by hunger as by hard work. Not until they were lying at their ease by the fire, and felt the rest that is given by food, did they realize that they had eaten nothing since they left Bezheeta in the morning. The cold and bleakness of the road had not invited lunches. The wonder was that they had not given out before they did.
“Wasn’t the trail covered up entirely before we stopped, Sid?” asked Raymond after they had finished their supper and lay in the warmth.
“Yes, there wasn’t a foot of it left.”
“Do you think we can get up to the top without any road?”
“Oh, I think so. It isn’t far, and it will look mighty near in the morning.”
“But the snow is pretty deep,” said Raymond, “and we’ll have to do some tall wading. And suppose we drop into a hidden gulch?”