they dreaded the discovery of fresh
tracks!

You will wonder at this; but it is easily explained. They had reasoned
with themselves, that if there existed any outlet above, the deer would
have gone out by it. If the contrary, the animal would still be found
near the head of the ravine. Nothing would have been less welcome than
the sight of the deer at that moment.

Their hopes rose as they advanced. No fresh tracks appeared upon the
glacier. The trail of the musk-deer still continued onward and upward.
The creature had not halted, nor even strayed to either side. It had
gone straight on, as though making for some retreat already known to it.
Here and there it had made detours; but these had been caused by lyes
in the ice, or boulders, that lay across the path.

With beating hearts the trackers kept on; now scanning the cliffs on
each hand, now bending their eyes in advance.

At length they saw themselves within a hundred paces of the extreme end
of the ravine, and yet no opening appeared. The precipice rose high and
sheer as ever, on the right, on the left, before their faces. Nor break
nor path cheered their eyes.

Where could the deer have gone? The ground above was pretty clear of
_debris_. There were some loose rocks lying on one side. Had it hidden
behind these? If so, they would soon find it; for they were within a
few paces of the rocks.

They approached with caution. They had prepared their weapons for a
shot. Despite their fears, they had still taken some precautions.
Hunger instigated them to this.

Caspar was sent on to examine the covert of rocks, while Karl and the
shikarree remained in the rear to intercept the deer if it attempted to
retreat down the ravine.

Caspar approached with due caution. He crawled silently up to the
boulders. He placed himself close to the largest; and, raising his
head, peeped over it.

There was no deer behind the rock, nor any traces of it in the snow.

He passed on to the next, and then to the next. This brought him into a
new position, and near the head of the ravine; so that he could now see
the whole surface of the glacier.

There was no musk-deer to be seen; but a spectacle greeted his eyes far
more welcome than the sight of the largest herd of deer could have been
to the keenest hunter; and a cry of joy escaped him on the instant.

He was seen to start out from the rocks, shouting as he ran across the
ravine--

"Come on, brother! we are s