IN SEARCH OF FOOD. IGl 



But at the end of the second day it was 

 decided that an effort must be made, and 

 early next morning the rain having a little 

 abated, two of our men started for a neio'h- 

 bouring village for food. The next day we 

 too made an effort, and met our messengers 

 on the road back, to Betcho, not far from the 

 place at which we had camped on our way 

 up. So great was our joy at our release from 

 the cave, that thouo;h our bed was under a 

 great pine, through whose glorious branches 

 the red sparks went roaring up to mingle with 

 the snowflakes that fell to meet them, we spent 

 quite a merry night of it, and thanks to that 

 grand old tree, woke warm and dry in the 

 mornino;. 



The mountain slopes being too slippery 

 to ascend, some demon put it into Biasir's head 

 to say that he knew a track which followed 

 the river's course round the foot of the ridge, 

 which, though longer than that over the 



VOL. II. M 



