Part 28 (1/2)

To the surprise of all, the mule was perfectly satisfied so long as it could keep its head and ears in the warmth and shelter, and never once attempted to creep in nearer; and so another hour pa.s.sed, only broken by the low murmur of Dale's voice as he talked to the guide, and the plash and rush of water. For the dripping was drowned now by the enormous amount which fell, and this went on increasing till there was quite a heavy roar, as of many falls.

”Is that anything?” said Saxe at last, as a low booming noise fell upon their ears--a sound which gradually increased.

”A waterfall,” said Melchior. ”The waters on the mountains are gathering together and plunging into the valley. Listen, and you can hear others,” he continued, as he held up his hand.

From apparently close at hand what sounded like the echo of the first fall could be heard, and beyond that, farther away, another, and again another, and so on, fainter and fainter, till the whole valley seemed to be filled with the noise of rus.h.i.+ng waters.

It was somewhat awe-inspiring, and suggested the possibility of a great flood coming down upon them to sweep everything away; but at the hint of such a catastrophe Melchior shook his head.

”Oh no,” he said. ”If we were on the bank of a big stream that might be, and we should have to climb up to a place of safety; but here the waters divide a hundred ways, and will never reach us. Hah!--snow.”

He held up his hand as a rus.h.i.+ng noise was heard somewhere high up among the dense mists. This rapidly increased to a terrific roar, followed by a deep booming crash; and so tremendous was the sound, that the noise of the falling waters seemed for the moment to be hushed. Then the thunderous crash rolled right away among the mountains, dying in faint echoes, and the rush of the waterfalls filled the air once more.

”A heavy avalanche, Melchior,” said Dale.

”Yes, herr; there is a great deal of snow up in the mountains, and this will make more.”

”What, this rain?” said Saxe.

”It is snow a thousand feet up, herr. When the clouds pa.s.s away you will see.”

Melchior's words were correct, for toward evening the rain ceased quite suddenly, and the sun broke through the mists, which rolled their way up the mountain sides as if to reach the snow peaks. And all the lower slopes were now powdered with newly fallen snow, where they had been green on the previous day.

Every tiny-looking cascade had been turned into a furious torrent, whose waters came leaping and bounding down from far on high, one running into another, till the last was vastly swollen and plunged into the valley, to turn its stream into quite a large river for a few hours.

”Well?” said Dale, inquiringly, as he returned with Saxe from watching the rush of waters and the beauty of the fresh snow.

”Well, herr?” said the guide quietly.

”What do you think? Could we start back now and get to Andregg's chalet to-night?”

”It is not impossible, herr; but the walking would be slippery and bad, every stream so swollen that they would be dangerous to wade, and the distance is so great that--”

”Well, go on. Why do you stop?”

”I had forgotten the schlucht, herr. We could not get through there.

It would be terribly swollen. The water is close up to or over the path, and--No, I should not like to be answerable for your safety. No, herr, we must wait till to-morrow.”

”But we shall not have enough to eat,” said Saxe.

”Plenty, though only simple,” said Dale, smiling. ”Come, Saxe, that's not like talking like a mountaineer. To-morrow morning, then: will that do, Melchior?”

”I think so, herr. I am sure about our way to the mouth of the schlucht. Then we can see.”

The morning dawned with the different falls wonderfully reduced; and after a breakfast that was exactly what Dale had said overnight, an early start was made, so that they were well on their way by the time that the sun began to tinge the tops of the mountains, which, seen now from a different point of view, seemed more beautiful than before.

Then by degrees the various familiar parts came into sight, till they neared and descended into the open valley along which the river ran, and at last came to a halt close to the mouth of the gorge, where the fount gushed down and joined the water at their feet.

The horror and dread they had felt came back to their memories as they gazed down at the murky stream, rus.h.i.+ng furiously along, now evidently many feet deeper than when they had pa.s.sed that way; and Melchior drew their attention to the fact that it must have been much higher up the rocks on the previous day.