rock formations on the others. Dingo gazed longingly at the water.  

He glanced back at Mr Ground, who scaned the scene with a squinted eyes. He didn't move.

Dingo felt something touch him by the forepaw. It was Chilla, she had slumped down on the soft snow and stretched her neck so that her head would rest and she breathed easily. 

Dingo licked her paw, kindly.

   ' Don't worry sis, only a few more yards to go and...?'

He didn't finish. He had felt the tug of the reins and they were off. Dingo looked ahead...

...and saw that they were making over the open plain. Not towards the shore, but towards the mountains.

   'What!' he shouted,

   'Dad, I can't make it.' Chilla said, faintly. Her voice sounded far away. Balto did not hear her. Dingo, seeing that it was hopeless, gathered all his remaining strengh and pulled hard at the sled and caught up with his sister.

   ' You can do this sis, I will help you.' he comforted her. Chilla manged a smile both they and Tamill ran like mad dogs after the team.   

 

*

 

The gentle snowfall went on to be a storm! 

It covered their vision like a fog.They could no longer see the peaks of the mountains in the horizon. The gap they were looking for would be difficult to find.

Let alone climb, thought Balto, grimly. He had decided that when their team reached the foot of the mountains, he will be forced to halt.

He didn't care what the others thought. We can't go on like this.

At last they reached the foot. Before Balto could lift another paw, he heard Rig Ground shout.

   ' Whoa!'

The sled came to a halt. Balto sighed with relief. But he gasped as Rig got off the sled and started walking stiffly. He walked past his team, patting a few on the head as he went. Then he went on ahead of them, along the mountain-side. The dogs watched him inspect the rocks. Balto squinted his eyes, so that he could get a better focus.

If we lose him in this snow, he thought to himself, We may not be able to find him.

To his horror, Rig went on, until he was out of sight. The storm had covered his dark form, replacing with a white film. Rig was nowhere to be seen. The wind howled suddenly. Balto heard a whine. It was Saba. 

  
  ' Tamill,' Balto called to his son, who was standing next to Dingo.' Tamill, is the sled got a stopper?'

He waited as Tamill inspected the sled.

  ' No Dad, the sled is detached .'

  ' Good.' Balto said. ' We can move. That way we can...'

  ' Look, Balto!' cried Jenna, gazing at somthing ahead of them. Balto looked and to his joy there was Rig, limping back to them with smile in his face. 
 
  ' I found it!' he cried, joyfully. Balto never saw him so happy.' I found the Gap through the mountains!'

Balto's heart sank but before he could do anything, Rig grabbed his rains and tugged them. Balto felt the sled move. The dogs followed their driver, passing the wall of rocks. 

At last they came to an opening. Rig entered in, leading the team with the sled. Balto, his mind full of dread, was forced to move with it. 

                                                            *                                                            

The path seemed level. After limping a dozen yards from that gap in the mountains, Mr Rig Ground returned to his former place on the sled and urged the team into a run. 

They ran for several minutes, before the path narrowed and steepend. Balto felt the ground slope. He was certain they were in for more difficulties. 

He was proven correct.

The path scaled and soon the team were climbing a steep, narrow pathway. Balto felt like he was climbing with a huge load behind his back. The snow was like a torrent, cascading down onto their faces. Blinding them, smothering them weighing them with sheer force and power. Balto struggled to get to the end of this route. Blindly, he ran on half-climbing, half-stubbling up the steep path the top.

At long last they made it. Balto struggled onto new ground followed by Jenna and the rest. But when he had gone a few paces, Balto nearly stopped in surprise! 

The wind had nearly caught him off-guard. Balto gasped as he nearly got thrown back by the emense strength of it.

  ' We can't stay here,' he whispered, pushing hard against the wind. The team ran in a slow pace.

                                                           *                                                         

Now that they were on a high, rocky ground and there, the team could see, clearly their location. They were on a high ledge, on a mountain-side. How far from the ground were they, Balto could not tell. The ledge was wide enough, but it continued to lead them further up. The stairway was endless and Balto's fears arose.

A cold hand clutched his heart.

This is crazy, he thought, we should of waited down in the open, away from these mountains. We can't go on. We can't go on!

He stopped at his tracks. He felt Jenna's fur as she too halted. The rest did the same.

For the first time in ages, Balto looked back at them. His family were looking anxiously in every direction. Balto noted a spark of terror in Saba's and Jenna's eyes. Chilla looked half-dead, Dingo, Kodiak and Tamill were supporting them. Aleu sniffed the air for any signs of it creasing. Balto was about to comfort them, when he rembered their musher.

Rig was on the sled, his face showing an expression of surprise and anger. Balto, (though he understood) didn't budge.

Rig bellowed to him.

   ' Balto! HIKE!' 

Balto swollowed,

I know what you want, Balto thought, I know we can't stay here. But we're in danger if we keep running like this.

   ' Besides...' a thin, cold voice said. Balto turned and saw with surprise it was Aleu who was speaking. She had read his thoughts!

  ' THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE WITH US.' she said, grimly.

For a few minutes, Balto stared at her. Then he turned his focus to look at the blank world around them. '

  ' Balto!' shouted Rig,' Hike! Hike! HIKE! HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE!'

But a wild vison. Dark, brawny and terrible had covered his cry. Standing on it's robust haunches. it capped Balto's vison for one split second, then was gone. 

  ' BALTO! BALTO!!!'  

Alerted by Rig's urgent and impatient warning, Balto's eyes flicked open. He realised to his wonder that he had been slumbering in the middle of a storm. He blinked. They were still on the ledge. The sky was still black over their heads. The wind had calmed a bit, but the snow was still hailed on.

  

  ' BALTO! BALTO!!!'  

   
You must not fail him. 

The smell voice had haunted Balto's mind since they left Koyuk. Balto knew he had to go on. Willing or unwilling. He straighten himself and prepared to begin the run. 

A low growl caused him to stop dead. He heard Jenna scream.

Then the floor of the ledge suddenly gave way. To Balto's horror, his felt the ground crack from underneagh him. He was slipping down the ledge. Jenna slipped too, the others stumbling after them. Balto caught a glimpse of Rig. His face was a mask of shock. The sled tipped over and fell after them.

 

XXI

 

With shouts and cries, the team slid, fast down the icey slope. The sled fell after them. While he was falling, Balto remembered an old trick of his. 

Digging his plaws through the snow, Balto gripped the rock from underneath. For one brief second, he felt the weight of the sled. Luggage and all. Balto felt it pulling him apart. Clentching his jaws in desperation, he gripped the ledge. He felt the end was near. Then it lessened.

Time froze. 

  ' Is there anyone hurt?' called Balto, dreadeding it would be so. He waited, anxiously for a reply.

  ' I'm alright.'

  ' Fine, dear.'

  ' We're okay, Dad.'
  
Jenna and his pups were in perfect line, fixed to the slope as he was. Their expressions were similer. Grim, but determined. Balto sighed with relief. They were all safe.

For the moment.

A cry from Tamill caused all heads to turn.
  ' Where's Rig.' The sled was hanging down the slope, but there was no sign of their musher.

Rig had gone. 

 

Balto gritted his teeth with anger mixed with fear and worry, his heart throbbed against his chest. Mr Ground was gone. They had lost him. 

Then he heard it again. A low growl! Balto looked up. His heart

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