d road; and as they wound along the slope they could look up at
the stupendous heights above them, and down at the abyss beneath them,
whose white snow-covering was marked at the bottom by the black line
of the roaring torrent. The smooth slope of snow ran down as far as
the eye could reach at a steep angle, filling up all crevices, with
here and there a projecting rock or a dark clump of trees to break its
surface.

The road was far beneath them. The drivers had informed them that it
was forty feet deep at the top of the pass, and that its depth here
was over thirty. Long poles which were inserted in the snow projected
above its surface, and served to mark where the road ran.

Here, then, they drove along, feeling wearied with the length of the
way, impatient at the slowness of their progress, and eager to reach
their journey's end. But little was said. All had talked till all were
tired out. Even Minnie Fay, who at first had evinced great enthusiasm
on finding herself leading the way, and had kept turning back
constantly to address remarks to her friends, had at length subsided,
and had rolled herself up more closely in her furs, and heaped the
straw higher about her little feet.

Suddenly, before them, and above them, and behind them, and all around
them, there arose a deep, low, dull, rushing sound, which seemed as if
all the snow on the slope was moving. Their ears had by this time
become sufficiently well acquainted with the peculiar sound of the
rushing snow-masses to know that this was the noise that heralded
their progress, and to feel sure that this was an avalanche of no
common size. Yes, this was an avalanche, and every one heard it; but
no one could tell where it was moving, or whether it was near or far,
or whether it was before or behind. They only knew that it was
somewhere along the slope which they were traversing.

A warning cry came from the foremost driver. He looked back, and his
face was as pale as death. He waved his hands above him, and then
shouting for the others to follow, he whipped up his horse furiously.
The animal plunged into the snow, and tossed and floundered and made a
rush onward.

But the other drivers held back, and, instead of following, shouted to
the first driver to stop, and cried to the passengers to hold on. Not
a cry of fear escaped from any one of the ladies. All did as they were
directed, and grasped the stakes of their sleds, looking up at the
slope with white lips,