The mountain slope had been steadily growing steeper beneath them, and they had not yet reached the bench.

They went up for another hour, and then came out upon the expected strip of plateau in the midst of which the gully died out.

The plateau, however, lay on the northern side of a great peak, and was covered with slushy snow.

Kinnaird looked somewhat dubiously at the latter, which seemed deep in the hollows.
"The snow will have gone once we get around the western shoulders," he said.

"It must be almost as near to get down from that side, and the canoes will have gone on by now.