Part 56 (1/2)
They began their arduous descent of the rugged place, Saxe walking behind, till Dale stopped by where the water, which had been gurgling along out of sight, rose now to the surface, so that they could obtain a refres.h.i.+ng draught.
As Saxe rose from his knees and wiped the drops from his mouth, he looked at Dale curiously.
”Well, what is it, boy?”
”What made you say about it being awkward if some one were watching us?”
”Oh, I don't know. The idea occurred to me. Why do you ask?”
”Because--perhaps it's fancy--it always seems to me that some one is watching us.”
”What?”
”Those stones tumbling about our ears, and that glimpse I got of something going along the mountain; and then that night when some one came and made Gros cry out!”
”Oh, fancy, my lad--fancy,” cried Dale; but there was a quick nervous tone in his utterance, and he walked on now toward the mouth of the ravine in a hurried manner, which suggested that he was thinking deeply about Saxe's words; and he was very silent all the way back to camp.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.
AN UNSEEN DANGER.
”I shall be glad when Melchior comes back,” said Dale, as they sat resting that night, with the dark shadows gathering in the valley, and the various peaks burning still in the sinking sunlight like glowing fire.
”I suppose he may be here any time now?” replied Saxe.
”Yes--no: he will be sure to have a heavy load, and he will not try to hurry the poor beast.”
They had had the crystal out to examine again, and the more it was judged the higher Dale's opinion of it grew.
”No,” he said suddenly: ”that would not do at all.”
Saxe stared at him, for this remark had no bearing upon what had pa.s.sed before.
”I said that would not do at all, Saxe, to have some one watching our movements, and taking advantage of our being away to profit by them.
Still, I feel pretty safe so far, and to-morrow we will climb to the mouth of that gully and stop about it, even if we do not go up.”
”But suppose anybody came and took them after we had discovered them: wouldn't that be stealing!”
Dale shook his head.
”Oh no. These people who make discoveries of curiosities in the mountains consider they have a perfect right to them, as sons of their fatherland; and, as foreigners, I'm afraid we should get a great deal of law and no profit if we raised the question. The best way is to keep our discoveries as secret as we can. Now, then! what do you say to drawing the curtains and going to sleep?”
”I'm ready,” said Saxe; ”but my! what a lot of adventures we are having in so short a time!”
”All lessons for you in mountaineering, my lad. Good night.”
”Good night,” said Saxe drowsily, as he lay down inside the tent, and at an hour when he would have thought it absurd to think of going to sleep at home. But nature was quite ready, and as he watched Dale fastening down the door of the tent with a peg, he dropped right off to sleep, but only to start awake again, to sit up, and stare wonderingly.
”I said we have our crystal to take care of now, boy,” said Dale, laughing at the comical figure Saxe cut; ”and we must not invite a visit from burglars by leaving the front door open. There, good night once more, and don't have a nightmare, and get dreaming about being fixed on a mountain shelf, like an English ornament, for strangers to see!”