ularintervals.

    Astheystruggledontothefourthledge,therewasnomistakithattheywerenowatthetopoftheflathill.Uptillnowtheslopehadgiventhemsomeshelter;here,theygotthefullfuryofthewind.Forthehill,oddlyenough,wasquiteasflatontopasithadlookedfromadistance:agreatleveltablelandwhichthestormtoreacrosswithout

    resistanmostplacesthesnowwasstillhardlylyingatall,forthewicatgitupoffthegroundisandclouds,andhurlingitintheirfaces.Androundtheirfeetlittleeddiesofsnowranaboutasyousometimesseethemdoingoverid,indeed,inmanyplaces,thesurfacewasalmostassmoothasice.Buttomakemattersworseitwascrossedandcrisscrossedwithcuriousbanksordykes,whietimesdivideditupintosquaresandoblongs.Alltheseofcoursehadtobeclimbed;theyvariedfromtwotofivefeetiandwereaboutacoupleofyardsthithenorthsideofeakthesnowalreadylayindeepdrifts;andaftereachclimbyoucamedownintoadriftandgotwet.

    Fightingherwayforwardwithhoodupandheaddownandnumbhandsinsidehercloak,Jillhadglimpsesofotheroddthingsonthathorribletableland-thingshtthatlookedvaguelylikefactoryeys,and,onherleft,ahugecliff,straighterthananycliffoughttobe.Butshewasntatalliedanddidntgivethemathought.Theonlythingsshethoughtaboutwerehercoldhands(andnoseandandears)andhotbathsaHarfang.

    Suddenlysheskidded,slidaboutfivefeet,andfoundherselftoherhorrorslidingdownintoadark,narrowchasmwhichseemedthatmomenttohaveappearedinfrontofher.

    Halfasedlatershehadreachedthebottom.Sheappearedtobeinakindoftrenchroove,onlyaboutthreefeetwide.Andthoughshewasshakenbythefall,almostt