I was alone. Perry was gone--gone forever, I had not the slightestdoubt.

Somewhere near by lay the mouth of a treacherous fissure, and fardown at its icy bottom lay all that was mortal of my very aged friend,Abner Perry. There would his body he preserved in its icy sepulcherfor countless ages, until on some far distant day the sluggish-movingriver of ice had wound its snail-like way down to the hoter level,there to disgorge its grisly evidence of grim tragedy, and what inthat far future age, might mean baffling mystery.

CHAPTER III

SH00TING THE CHUTES--AND AFTER

Through the fog I felt my way along by means of my compass. I nolonger heard the bears, nor did I encoun-ter one within the fog.