do you say: shall we start back this
evening?"

"If my lord is not too wearied, it would be well if we could get
across the crest before morning. They will have sentries at every
point whence they can command a view of the hills; and our figures
could be made out, on the snow, at a great distance away."

"I should have preferred a night's rest, Bathalda; but it would be
foolish to lose a day, and no doubt parties will be searching the
woods in the morning. We have still four hours before the sun goes
down, and that should be enough to fit us for starting again."

The hunter was pleased at Roger's decision.

"Let my lord sleep at once," he said. "I will watch. I am
accustomed to long journeys, and to pass my nights in search of
game. It is nothing to me. I used dry sticks for the fire, and but
little smoke will have made its way through the trees. Still it may
possibly be noticed, and it were best one of us should remain on
watch."

Roger felt that he should never be able to make the ascent over the
crest of the hill, unless he had some rest; and therefore, without
argument, he wrapped himself in his cotton mantle, and lay down
before the fire.

It seemed to him that he had but just closed his eyes, when his
companion touched him.

"It is time that we should be moving, my lord. The sun has just
set."

"Why, it appears to me to be night already, Bathalda."

"It has been dark here for the last hour, my lord; but on the other
side of the mountains the sun has but now gone down. See, the full
moon has just risen in the east."

"That is so, Bathalda; and we shall have her light till morning.
Well, I am ready, though I could have slept on comfortably until
sunrise. Have you heard anything?"

"I have heard the sound of horns, far down the hillside; but
nothing near us save animals, disturbed by the voices below, and
passing up towards the rocks. I have cooked some more flesh. It is
always best to make a good meal when one can. We have a rough
journey before us, and the cold will be great. Fortunately, the air
is still. Were it blowing, I should say that there was less danger
in waiting here than in crossing the mountain."

The meal was quickly eaten. Bathalda slung a large piece of bear's
flesh over his shoulder, and they started. So bright was the
moonlight that they had no more difficulty in climbing than if it
had been day, and after six hours of severe toil they again came
down upon the forest, on the othe