THEHILLOFTHESTRAREHEREIsnodenyingitwasabeastofaday.Overheadwasasunlesssky,muffledincloudsthatwereheavywithsnow;underfoot,ablackfrost;blowi,awindthatfeltasifitwouldtakeyourskinoff.Whedownintotheplaintheyfoundthatthispartofthearoadwasmuchmoreruinousthananytheyhadyetseen.Theyhadtopicktheirwayreatbrokenstonesaweenbouldersandacrossrubble:hardgoingforsorefeet.And,howevertiredtheygot,itwasfartoocoldforahalt.

    AtabouttenoclockthefirsttinysnowflakescameldownaledonJillsarm.Tenmiertheywerefallingquitethickly.Iymihegroundwasnoticeablywhite.Andbytheendofhalfanhoodsteadysnowstorm,whichlookedasifitmeanttolastallday,wasdrivingintheirfacessothattheycouldhardlysee.

    Iouandwhatfollowed,youmustkeeponrememberinghowlittletheycouldsee.Astheydrewhelowhillwhichseparatedthemfromtheplacewherethelightedwindoeared,theyhadnogeneralviewofitatall.Itwasaquestionofseeifewpacesahead,and,evenforthat,youhadtoscrewupyoureyes.

    Needlesstosay,theywerenottalking.

    Whentheyreachedthefootofthehilltheycaughtaglimpseofwhatmightberoeachside-squarishrocks,ifyoulookedatthemcarefully,butnoonedid.Allweremoreedwiththeledgerightinfrontofthemwhichbarredtheirway.Itwasaboutfourfeethigh.TheMarsh-wiggle,withhislonglegs,hadnodifficultyinjumpingontothetopofit,ahenhelpedtheothersup.Itwasanastywetbusinessforthem,thoughnotforhim,becausethesnownowlayquitedeepontheledge.Theythenhadastiffclimb-Jillfellonce-upveryroughgroundforaboutahundredyards,andcametoasedledge.Therewerefouroftheseledgesaltogether,atquiteirreg