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The white summits were so close now that Ben felt as if he could put out his hand and touch the snow on their slopes Firedrake was flying toward a narrow pass between the two ed with the darkness of the night, and needles of stone rose on’s way When Firedrake was right between the two peaks, the wind fell on hion’s wings and sent hi like a leaf toward the rocks

"Watch out!" shouted Burr-Burr-Chan, but Firedrake had already regained control Bracing hiht, he shook off its invisible clutches Snow drove down on theon and the heads and shoulders of his riders Ben’s teeth were chattering

"We’re going to hest ridge, ahead of us!"

Firedrake shot through the pass and over it, leaving the howling wind behind at last -- and flew into the Valley of the Dragons

A lake lay there amid the mountains, a lake as round as the rew on its banks They glowed in the darkness of the night,the valley look as if the stars had fallen into it froe’s mushroom and Caesar’s cap, too!" breathed Sorrel

"We call that lake the Eye of the Moon!" called Burr-Burr-Chan as Firedrakewater "Fly over it! Fly to where --"

But Twigleg interrupted "No! Don’t -- don’t fly over the water!" he shouted shrilly

He struggled out of the lareat furry fool!" he shouted at Burr-Burr-Chan "You didn’t say anything about a lake! You didn’t breathe a word!"

"Who are you calling a great furry fool?" Burr-Burr-Chan turned around crossly, but the hoher, Firedrake!" he croaked, tugging at the straps "This lake is a gateway -- an open gateway!"

But Firedrake had realized what he ly, he rose and headed toward the opposite bank He looked down anxiously, but nothing see Only a feflakes on landed on a rocky ledgeflowers Tre, Firedrake," said Sorrel, looking intently into the night "I really don’t"

Annoyed, she turned to Twigleg, as huddled in Ben’s lap, shivering "That manikin will drive us crazy! How could his old et here so fast, may I ask?"

"Leave him alone," said Ben brusquely "Can’t you see he’s frozen?"

With stiff fingers that even the loves could not keep warave Twigleg a sip Then he had a sip himself The peculiar taste almost turned his stoh hi his eyes off the surface of the lake

"At any rate we have a head start on the monster," whispered Sorrel "He can’t fly"

"We’d only have a head start if there wasn’t any water here, you stupid pointy-eared nitwit!" snapped Twigleg He was not tre quite so badly now that he had drunk a little hot tea "Are you telling me that lake down there isn’t water? I warn you, he’s probably here already, watching us"