"That's one of the reasons we came over to see you," interpolated Mr. Dalken. "Jack has a lot to tell you about the troubles there." "What troubles?" wondered Polly. "You don't mean the land-slide, do you?" "We know about that," added Eleanor. "You only heard the first news of it. But you never knew what followed that first event," returned Mr. Dalken. "I've known how things stood for a short time, but I talked it over with the Latimers, and we decided to let Jack go West with Mr. Alexander, and investigate matters for themselves." "Dodo's father! What has he to do with it?" asked both girls in surprise. "More than we can ever appreciate. Because he is such an experienced old miner, having spent years in the Klondike, and later, down in the Colorado mining districts, his going to Pebbly Pit was the best thing that ever happened to our company. Jack had just decided to invest a great deal of his capital in the joint companies, so he decided to accompany Alexander and see for himself how the land lay." "And what was Mr. Alexander's verdict?" asked Polly. "Listen to Jack's story of what happened on the mountain, that early morning. It is as thrilling as anything I ever heard," said Mr. Dalken. "I'd have given anything to have been on the spot when that old peak divided her earthly substance," laughed Jack. "But even the telling of it by Tom Latimer and John Brewster, was so exciting that I tried every way possible to reach the mountain where the awful avalanche took place. "Tom had felt a tremor run along the side of the peak the night before, and had warned John that old Grizzly was ripping mad again. So the two of them rode along the Crest where those claim-jumpers were buried the time that other avalanche occurred, and they saw that Grizzly Slide had broken up great masses of ice-field, and on the far side where it drops suddenly to the valley, thousands of feet below, a great block of ice and rock had fallen from the top-side and had rolled down, destroying everything in its terrific plunge. "Both boys were satisfied that it was only a matter of time before the gaping crevices showing on the side towards the gold mine, would widen and the top-mass begin to move. It was impossible to say whether a slide would happen on the cave-side or roll down one of the gulleys on either side of the mine. But the two of them made up their minds that everyone must move from the camp without delay, and seek safety. "Orders were given to strike camp at once, and the men worked all night, packing away outfits and tools, and such machinery as could be moved inside the cave. Then the mouth was closed against winter storms, and they started, on their horses, to ride along Top Notch Trail, on the down trip.