Part 27 (2/2)
Melchior was right: in less than the time he had named they reached the place where they had left the great snow slope, up which they had had to zigzag; and after descending it diagonally for some distance, the guide proposed a glissade.
”The young herr shall come down behind me this time,” he said; and after a few preliminary words of advice they started, and rapidly descended safely to the debris at the foot of the snow, from which the walk to the camp was not long.
Melchior soon had a good fire burning, with Gros standing near contemplating it solemnly, while Dale placed their provisions ready.
”Now, Saxe, my lad,” he said, ”I congratulate you on your display of honest English pluck to-day. I don't see that any boy of your age could have behaved better. Come along: coffee's ready. You must be half starved.”
There was a pause.
”Ready, Melchior?”
”Yes, herr: the coffee smells heavenly, and I have an appet.i.te for three.”
”You shall satisfy it, then. To-morrow we'll go back and fetch all our traps, and then come over here again; for I do not think we can get a better part for our search. Come, Saxe, wake up.”
But there was no reply: Saxe was sleeping with all his might after the tremendous exertions of the day.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
CAUGHT IN A TRAP.
The mist on the mountain had not been without its meaning, and a heavy persistent rain kept them all the next day close in under the shelter of the rock, where the fire had to be lighted too, and after a great deal of difficulty this was accomplished by Melchior getting a few stout dead branches and bringing them under cover.
These he whittled into shavings, and these shavings served to start the green pine boughs which had formed their beds; and once a pretty good glow was obtained, with plenty of embers, the wetness of the branches brought under cover mattered very little, especially as the guide ranged them close to the fire to dry, ready against they were required; and had contrived that the blinding smoke should sweep right out at once, a few broad branched boughs stuck in the ground or propped upright helping to establish a draught.
The feeling of restfulness and the hot coffee were sufficient to make the first hour tolerable, in spite of the constant dripping of the trees and the rush of water down from the natural eaves of their shelter; but after a time it began to grow monotonous.
The outlook was not extensive either, for beyond the thick driving rain the hollows were filled with dense mist, and the mountains around were quite invisible; and Saxe turned from gazing out between two little shoots of water to look rather appealingly at Dale.
”What's the matter, Saxe?” said the latter.
”It's so horribly wet.”
”Well, it's wet everywhere sometimes. Sit down near the fire and rest.
You'll be all the better for it when the rain is over.”
”But it looks as if it never would be over.”
”But it will be. There: help keep up the fire, and be patient. We can't always be climbing.”
”I say, look at that,” cried Saxe, laughing; for just then the mule, which had been grazing a short distance away, troubling itself not in the slightest degree about the rain, came slowly towards them, with its s.h.a.ggy coat looking as if it had been oiled, and the water trickling from it in streams, as if it were a walking reservoir filled a little too full.
It was evident that it considered the rain a little too heavy now, for it thrust its head under cover, and blinked for a few moments at the fire before giving itself a tremendous shake, sending the water flying from its ears, and then drooped them low down, as if holding them out to the fire to dry.
In this position its head was in shelter, but the rain streamed down upon its back and hind quarters, while a perfect deluge, like that from a waterspout, ran down a long gully in the overhanging rock right on to the spine just between the shoulders, and there divided to trickle on either side down the fore legs, and then run down through the pine needles, which formed too thick a bed for any of the water to make a pool.
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