He flicked the team with his whip and by and by they reached a straggling birch bluff on the crest of a steeper slope.
"A Prairie Courtship"
Harold Bindloss
And the deck became steeper.
"Command"
William McFee
The climb had been steep, steeper than it had appeared from below, yet his breathing was not labored, his mouth was not dry from thirst, nor were his muscles protesting the effort.
"Eight Keys to Eden"
Mark Irvin Clifton