e huskies, with the
eyes and ears of men; but more often they were creatures utterly
corrupt, who, swimming beside me, acclaimed me as their equal and as
one of themselves.

"I remembered the reason which you had stated why the Forbidden River
is never travelled--and I knew the power of fear as never before. I
could not see where I was going; no land was in sight. I could
perceive nothing but mocking befouled faces, and they were on every
side. With my steering pole I pushed continually towards the right,
dreading every moment that I would lose my balance, or would be swept
out into the Last Chance far below the cache. These thoughts made me
desperate, and I renewed the struggle with something that was more
than physical strength; I knew that, should I die at that time, I
would become one of those damned grey faces.

"The crossing could not have occupied more than a few minutes, but
they seemed like ages. I felt as though, for so long as I could
remember, I had been sitting astride a log, hurrying through a mist on
a rushing river.

"Presently I heard the grating of ice against ice and the cannoning of
logs, and I knew that I was nearing the other side. There was a sudden
shock; the tree which I rode swung round, and I found myself
scrambling wildly up the bank out of the reach of the hands which were
thrust out after me. I rose to my feet and ran, tripping and falling
continually as my snowshoes plunged deep in the melting crust. Each
time I fell, it seemed to me that I had not tripped, but had been
struck down from behind by the river-creatures which pursued me. Then
the sound of the water grew more faint, the mist closed in upon me,
and I sank exhausted. I had no idea of my position as regards the
cache, nor would I have any means of finding out until morning should
come and the fog should rise. But I knew that it would be fatal to sit
still in my sodden clothes, on the drenching snow, without a fire,
till daylight; so I got upon my feet and commenced to tread slowly
about.

"Presently behind the mist I could hear something moving, which was
following and keeping pace with me stride by stride. Its footsteps did
not seem to be those of a man, but more frequent and lighter. I was
in that state of mind when suspense is the worst part of danger; I did
not care particularly how much I had to suffer if only I might know
completely what death and by whose hands I was to die. Drawing my
revolver, I made a plunge forwar