Now and then Rod could hear the wind whispering over the top of the chasm.

But not a breath of it came down to him.
Under his feet was only sufficient snow to deaden his own footsteps, and he still carried his snow-shoes upon his back.
Suddenly, from the thick gloom that hung under one of the cragged walls, there came a thundering, unearthly sound that made him stop, his rifle swung half to shoulder.

He saw that he had disturbed a great owl, and passed on.

Now and then he paused beside the creek and took up handful after handful of its pebbles, his heart beating high with hope at every new gleam he caught among them, and never sinking to disappointment though he found no gold.

The gold was here--somewhere.