energy had abated before trying conclusions with
him. He was in splendid condition from his long journey, which had
braced all his muscles, and had given him back all that vigour
which his London life had slightly impaired.

So he stepped along gaily in the clear morning air, calculating as
well as he could what Lord Claud's movements would be, and how far
he would have progressed upon his way with the real despatches.

Lord Claud never let grass grow under his feet. If he once obtained
a fair start, he would not easily lose it. The route by which he
was going was a little longer and more circuitous; but let him have
a day's clear start, and it would be odd if any pursuer caught him
after that.

So Tom walked on in high spirits, feeling well equipped for the
coming struggle, and fearing little the peril which might lie
before him. In the pride of his manhood's strength, he laughed at
the thought of danger. He had faced too many perils of late to
begin to turn coward now. So long as he felt that he was leading
these followers away from the other pass to be taken by his
comrade, he cared for nothing else--not even for the discovery he
once made that they were three in number, though Lord Claud had
calculated that they would only be two.

Sometimes Tom noted that his guide would look back, and more than
once he fancied that he detected him signalling to those below.
This aroused in his mind a doubt of the fellow's fidelity; but
there was nothing to be done now. They were in the midst of
trackless snow plains, ice slopes, and precipices. He must perforce
trust to the leading of the guide, albeit, if he had been tampered
with by those in pursuit, things might look ugly when it came to
the moment of attack.

As the hours wore away, Tom began to wish that the situation might
declare itself. The drear wildness of the mountain height oppressed
him with a sense of personal insignificance which was rather
overwhelming. The great white mountains seemed to stare down upon
him as though pitilessly indifferent to his fate. How could they
care what became of one solitary son of earth? Did they not stand
fast for ever more, from century to century? It was a thought that
he found oppressive and rather terrible.

At one point the guide insisted upon leaving what looked like the
better track, and led him round a sort of shoulder of piled up snow
and rock, where walking was very laborious. Tom began to feel the
need of food, and wo