Part 24 (1/2)

”An hour and five minutes, Melchior,” he said. ”And good work, sir.

That was a very stiff climb. What are you thinking, young herr?”

”Of how terribly steep the mountain seems from up here,” replied Saxe, who was holding by a piece of granite and gazing down.

”No more steep than it was coming up, lad,” cried Dale. ”Now, Melchior!

what next?”

”Right across this snow, sir. It is perfectly safe; and then we can take the slope above there, and we are on the shoulder. Then, as we arranged, we'll take to the rock or the snow again, whichever seems best.”

”Ready, Saxe?”

”Yes,” said the boy shortly; and for the next hour they tramped over snow like hailstones, and then zigzagged up a slope beyond it, where in the steepest places a little cutting became necessary; but this was all mastered in time, and the shoulder was reached, from which half a mile away the final peak arose--a blunt hillock with perfectly smooth snow on one side, bare rock, broken and rugged, on the other, while the snow at the top seemed to have been cut clean off perpendicularly.

Half an hour's rugged walk brought them to a point where they had to decide whether to turn north and climb the snow, or south and take to the bare steep rock.

”What do you say, Melchior?” said Dale, giving the guide a meaning look at the same time.

”The snow is too steep, and it looks dangerous there. It is now well on in the afternoon, and our weight might start it; and if it did--you know.”

”What!” said Saxe excitedly. Dale was silent for a few moments.

”I do not want to scare you, lad, but you have to learn these things.

If we started the snow at that angle, it would all go down with a rush into the nearest valley.”

”And what would become of us!”

Neither of the men answered; but Saxe knew.

”That is going to be a stiff climb, Melchior,” said Dale, after a few minutes' searching the place with his eyes.

”I dare say it will be, sir,” replied the guide. ”Are you ready?”

”Yes.”

They started again, taking to the rocky face where the steepness kept the snow from hanging. The sun was now s.h.i.+ning full upon them, adding its heat to that produced by the exertion. The advance was slow and tentative for some time, resulting in several failures; and so painfully steep had the place become that Dale twice, to Saxe's great relief, suggested that it would be better to give it up, and the guide seemed to be unwillingly about to agree, when all at once a narrow rift opened out before them.

”We're at the top, herr,” he cried joyfully; and, stepping out, he stopped in the furrow carved in the mountain's side, and prepared to climb.

”Can you get up there?” said Saxe, wiping his streaming face and gazing skyward.

”Yes, herr, and you can too. Once up there, the rest will be easy.”

Dale looked doubtful, but he said nothing--only stood watching while Melchior crept right into the narrowest part and began to ascend, taking advantage of every crack and prominence, rising higher and higher without a moment's hesitation, though so narrow was their standing-place, that unless Dale and Saxe could stop him in case of a slip, the unfortunate man would glance off and shoot into s.p.a.ce.

Melchior was still climbing on when this idea struck Dale, who turned sharply to his young companion.

”Why are you staring down there!” he said, as he noticed that Saxe had turned from watching the guide and was looking down the tremendous series of precipices stretching step-like from where he stood to the valley southward.

”I was thinking how deep it is.”