new, both of us,
that it could not be much prolonged, since the weather might break at
any moment, when ascents of the mountain would become impossible.

In the middle of the night I was awakened by Leo shaking me and
saying--"Come here, Horace, I have something to show you."

Reluctantly enough I crept from between the rugs and out of the tent. To
dress there was no need, for we slept in all our garments. He led me
to the mouth of the cave and pointed northward. I looked. The night was
very dark; but far, far away appeared a faint patch of light upon the
sky, such as might be caused by the reflection of a distant fire.

"What do you make of it?" he asked anxiously.

"Nothing in particular," I answered, "it may be anything. The moon--no,
there is none, dawn--no, it is too northerly, and it does not break for
three hours. Something burning, a house, or a funeral pyre, but how can
there be such things here? I give it up."

"I think it is a reflection, and that if we were on the peak we should
see the light which throws it," said Leo slowly.

"Yes, but we are not, and cannot get there in the dark."

"Then, Horace, we must spend a night there."

"It will be our last in this incarnation," I answered with a laugh,
"that is if it comes on to snow."

"We must risk it, or I will risk it. Look, the light has faded;" and
there at least he was right, for undoubtedly it had. The night was as
black as pitch.

"Let's talk it over to-morrow," I said, and went back to the tent, for I
was sleepy and incredulous, but Leo sat on by the mouth of the cave.

At dawn I awoke and found breakfast already cooked.

"I must start early," Leo explained.

"Are you mad?" I asked. "How can we camp on that place?"

"I don't know, but I am going. I must go, Horace."

"Which means that we both must go. But how about the yak?"

"Where we can climb, it can follow," he answered.

So we strapped the tent and other baggage, including a good supply of
cooked meat, upon the beast's back, and started. The tramp was long
since we were obliged to make some detours to avoid slopes of frozen
snow in which, on our previous ascents, we had cut footholds with an
axe, for up these the laden animal could not clamber. Reaching the
summit at length, we dug a hole, and there pitched the tent, piling the
excavated snow about its sides. By this time it began to grow dark, and
having descended into the tent, yak and all, we ate our food and waited.

Oh! wha