The riders all sat in silent awe at the sight
before them. They had reached Grizzly Slide!
The snow-capped peak, reaching an altitude, from the clearing where
they stood, of at least a thousand feet sheer up, dazzled their eyes in
the bright sunshine. To the left of the peak, the sides dropped down
almost perpendicularly to the level floor of a valley many thousand
feet below. To the right, the snow-fields stretched across a vast area
before any timber could be seen on the downward slope.
The snow of the Slide was continually melting in summer and furnishing
icy streams that cut through in every direction to reach the vales far
down. The temperature was almost at freezing point near the peak, and
the girls quickly donned their sweaters which had been packed in
Choko's panniers.
In removing the sweaters, Polly accidentally pulled out a heavy coil of
rope, but hung it back on one of the knobs of Choko's harness instead
of buckling it inside the pocket. Well she did, too.
"Come on, girls, I want to see what that blue line is over on the ice-
field," said Polly, starting up the Slide.
The horses were sharp-shod and sure-footed, so the girls rode as safely
as if on the mossy trail, but they had not gone far before Polly began
murmuring to herself.
"What's the matter?" wondered Anne, aloud.
"That blue line looks to me like a crevice in the ice."
"What of that?" asked Barbara, stupidly.
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