They deepened once more. And with every
change the sense of urgent movement grew. It was like the panic movement
of a beaten force. The all-powerful light of day was absorbing, draining
the moisture-laden shadows, and reducing them to gossamer.

It was with the final passing of the mists that a sharp ejaculation
broke from the watching man. It verily seemed to have been wrung from
him. His gaze was fixed at a point of the broken skyline. A great cloud
lay banked above the rising crest of the snowy barrier. It was stirring.
It was lifting. Slowly. Reluctantly.

The moments passed. It was like the rising of the curtain upon a
wonderful stage picture. Unlike the mists the cloud did not disperse. It
lifted up, up before the man's amazed eyes, and settled a dense dark
mass to crown that which it had revealed.

"Gee!"

The startled monosyllable was thrilling with every emotion of wonder.

A spire towered over the serrated skyline. Its height was utterly beyond
Steve's calculation. Its final peak was lost amidst the heavy cloud.
Sheer up it rose. Sheer above its monstrous surroundings. It rose like
the spire of some cathedral of Nature's moulding, and dwarfed the world
about it. It was dark, dark, in contrast to the crystal splendour
outspread, and frowned with the unyielding hue of the barren rock.

"Boss--look!"

It was the first intimation of Julyman's presence. Steve accepted it
without question. He was wholly absorbed in what he beheld. The Indian
was at his side pointing at the monstrous tower.

"Him Unaga--Unaga Spire. Julyman know. Him Father wise man. Him tell of
Unaga Spire. Him hot. Him hot lak hell. Him all burn up snow--ice. Him
burn up all thing. Come. It not good. Him Unaga Spire!"

* * * * *

A wide declining expanse stretched out before them as Steve and Julyman
swung along over the snow. They were following the track of a dog train,
leaving behind them the added tracks of their own snow-shoes to mark the
way. Ahead of them lay another short rise whose crest was dotted with
timber bluffs. It was beyond this they hoped to discover the winter
shelter they were seeking. Somewhere behind them the indomitable Oolak,
silent, enduring, was shepherding their own dog train over their tracks.

The end of the month had come and their fortunes were at a crisis. A
thousand miles of territory had been covered since the early summer day
when Steve had bade farewell to his wife and