Part 37 (1/2)
”Ah! look, Saxe!” cried Dale: ”some one's footmark in the pine as.h.!.+”
”'Tisn't mine,” said Saxe: ”it's too big.”
”Nor mine,” said Dale. ”An English boot does not leave a print like that. It's yours, Melchior. A false alarm.”
”No, herr--no false alarm,” said the guide; and he raised one foot so as to expose the sole. ”Look at the open way in which I nail my boots-- with big nails, so that they shall not slip on the rock or ice. That footprint is not mine.”
”No: you are right. Then whose could it be?”
Melchior shook his head.
”Some one must have been prowling round the tent in the night.”
”It must have been one of Melk's spirits--the one who threw stones at us yesterday. I say, Melk, they wear very big boots.”
The guide smiled.
”Yes, herr, it was some one with big boots; and I do not understand it.”
Dale's first idea--a natural one under the circ.u.mstances--was that plunder was the object; and he said so.
”No, herr; I do not think there is anybody about here who would steal.”
”I'm very glad to hear it,” said Dale: ”but let's see if anything has gone.”
The guide said nothing--only looked on while an examination was made.
”No,” said Dale; ”I do not miss anything. Yes: my little binocular is missing!”
”No, herr; you put it inside the big basket last night.”
”Yes, here it is,” cried Saxe.
”Then you are right, Melchior: it could not have been robbery.”
”No, herr, it is strange; but I will light the fire and get breakfast.”
As he spoke he began kindling some dry stuff he had collected, and shortly after the coffee-pot was promising to boil. Then some bacon was sliced and frizzled, and the appetising odour soon made the memories of the night alarm pa.s.s away in the thoughts of the excellent breakfast, which was finished while the pa.s.s in which they were seated was still grey, though the mountain peaks looked red-hot in the coming suns.h.i.+ne.
”Well, I'm not going to let an incident like that interfere with our progress, Melchior. Where do you propose going next?”
”Up whichever thal the herr chooses, and then up the mountain.”
”And not quite over the pa.s.s?”
”No, herr. We are in the highest part here, and we may come upon crystals in any of these solitary peaks.”
”Very well; then we'll make a start at any time you like. Do we come back here?”
”No, herr. I propose that we take the mule on to the foot of the Great Oberweiss glacier, an hour from here. There is good camping ground, and then we will go up the mountain by the side of the ice meer.”