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minerals, of which I saw no more signs than lower down.

However, I resolved that I would follow the river up, and not return
until I was compelled to do so. I would go up every branch as far as I
could, and wash well for gold. Chowbok liked seeing me do this, but it
never came to anything, for we did not even find the colour. His dislike
of the main range appeared to have worn off, and he made no objections to
approaching it. I think he thought there was no danger of my trying to
cross it, and he was not afraid of anything on this side; besides, we
might find gold. But the fact was that he had made up his mind what to
do if he saw me getting too near it.

We passed three weeks in exploring, and never did I find time go more
quickly. The weather was fine, though the nights got very cold. We
followed every stream but one, and always found it lead us to a glacier
which was plainly impassable, at any rate without a larger party and
ropes. One stream remained, which I should have followed up already, had
not Chowbok said that he had risen early one morning while I was yet
asleep, and after going up it for three or four miles, had seen that it
was impossible to go farther. I had long ago discovered that he was a
great liar, so I was bent on going up myself: in brief, I did so: so far
from being impossible, it was quite easy travelling; and after five or
six miles I saw a saddle at the end of it, which, though covered deep in
snow, was not glaciered, and which did verily appear to be part of the
main range itself. No words can express the intensity of my delight. My
blood was all on fire with hope and elation; but on looking round for
Chowbok, who was behind me, I saw to my surprise and anger that he had
turned back, and was going down the valley as hard as he could. He had
left me.




CHAPTER IV: THE SADDLE


I cooeyed to him, but he would not hear. I ran after him, but he had got
too good a start. Then I sat down on a stone and thought the matter
carefully over. It was plain that Chowbok had designedly attempted to
keep me from going up this valley, yet he had shown no unwillingness to
follow me anywhere else. What could this mean, unless that I was now
upon the route by which alone the mysteries of the great ranges could be
revealed? What then should I do? Go back at the very moment when it had
become plain that I was on the right scent? Hardly; yet to proceed alone
would be both difficult and dangerous. It would be bad enough to return
to my master's run, and pass through the rocky gorges, with no chance of
help from another should I get into a difficulty; but to advance for any
considerable distance without a companion would be next door to madness.
Accidents which are slight when there is another at hand (as the
spraining of an ankle, or the falling into some place whence escape would
be easy by means of an outstretched hand and a bit of rope) may be fatal

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