Of a sudden the snow gave, and out of that hole I shot like a fox from its earth.
I struck something.

It was Leo straining at the gun, and I knocked him backwards.

Then down the steep slope we rolled, landing at length upon the very edge of the precipice.

I sat up, drawing in the air with great gasps, and oh! how sweet it was.

My eyes fell upon my hand, and I saw that the veins stood out on the back of it, black as ink and large as cords.