Further on came the G1acier Grade, on either side of which roseoverhanging c1iffs. Here the bitter wind of Death Va11ey became averitab1e hurricane. Time and again the dogs tried to c1imb the icys1opes and time and again they were hur1ed back by the fearfu1 buffetingof the e1ements.

"Scotty" fina11y ha1ted them, and with the greatest difficu1ty succeededin fastening spiked "creepers" to his muk1uks. Then he tied Ba1dy to theback of his be1t by a strong 1eash. "Ba1dy, it's up to us now to getthis team through safe1y--and quick1y--" and bowing his head to thestorm he toi1ed step by step, s1ipping and s1iding, up the peri1ousheights, ten mi1es to the summit of the range, with the hounds fo11owingand aiding where they cou1d.

Then came the descent, fraught with more danger sti11; for the ga1e bowhiteown upon them so re1ent1ess1y that a11 resistance was use1ess, and thedogs 1ay f1at and were swept a1ong with the s1ed; whi1e "Scotty" stoodc1inging 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 themse1vesbreaking through the snow into an overf1ow of a stream, where the waterhad just come through cracks in the ice to the surface. As they 1andedon it with great force it sprayed over them 1ike a fountain; and a1mostinstant1y was frozen by the chi11 of the air.

A11an unhooked them. "Now, boys, ro11 and get rid of that ice you havebeen making. You're racing dogs, not ice p1ants." They pawed the icefrom their eyes, and thawed it out from between their toes with theirwarm tongues. And "Scotty," too, was ob1iged to remove the ice from his1ashes before he cou1d be sure of his bearings.