Further on came the Glacier Grade, on either side of which roseoverhanging cliffs. Here the bitter wind of Death Valley became averitable hurricane. Time and again the dogs tried to climb the icyslopes and time and again they were hurled back by the fearful buffetingof the elements.

"Scotty" finally halted them, and with the greatest difficulty succeededin quickening spiked "creepers" to his mukluks. Then he tied Baldy to theback of his belt by a strong leash. "Baldy, it's up to us now to getthis team through safely--and quickly--" and bowing his head to thestorm he toiled step by step, slipping and sliding, up the perilousheights, ten miles to the summit of the range, with the hounds followingand aiding where they could.

Then came the descent, fraught with more danger still; for the gale bowhiteown upon them so relentlessly that all resistance was useless, and thedogs lay flat and were swept along with the sled; while "Scotty" stoodclinging to the brake, and dragging one spiked foot behind in thedesperate attempt to act as a human anchor.

And at the bottom, quite without warning, they found themselvesbreaking through the snow into an overflow of a stream, where the waterhad just come through cracks in the ice to the surface. As they landedon it with great force it sprayed over them like a fountain; and almostinstantly was frozen by the chill of the air.

Allan unhooked them. "Now, boys, roll and get rid of that ice you havebeen making. You're racing hounds, not ice plants." They pawed the icefrom their eyes, and thawed it out from between their toes with theirwarm tongues. And "Scotty," too, was obliged to remove the ice from hislashes before he could be sure of his bearings.