e summit as they reached the snow bed,
but they followed their old track easily enough; and when at last, in
what seemed to be a surprisingly short space of time, they came to the
head of the arete, the white, spectral looking fog was creeping down in
long-drawn wreaths, toward which Melchior kept turning his eyes.

"Look as if they will catch us soon," said Dale quietly.

"Pray Heaven they may not till we are clear of this ridge, herr!" said
the guide piously. "Now, quick--the rope! You will go first."

The rope was rapidly attached, and, as Dale started to descend, it
seemed to Saxe that he was disappearing over the edge of a precipice;
and as this was repeated again and again while they reversed the way by
which they had ascended, the guide sitting fast and holding on till they
were down, the place seemed far more terrible, and the snow slopes on
either side almost perpendicular.

They made good way, however, Melchior keeping on inciting them to fresh
exertion.

"Go on, gentlemen--go on!" he said. "I have you safe. The rope is
good. Go on, herrs--go on!"

But the descent over those rugged knife-edged ridges was so perilous,
that Dale went slowly and cautiously; and when he reached each
stopping-place he held on till Saxe had passed down to him. Once the
boy seemed to totter as he was passing from one of the rocks to the
other, over a patch of snow between them; but the firm strain upon the
rope gave him support, and he reached the rock and began to lower
himself.

In spite of their hastening, that which Melchior had apprehended
happened: a cloud of mist suddenly started in advance of the rest, which
had formed upward, and now completely veiled the summit. This
mist-cloud rolled rapidly down when the party were about two-thirds of
the way down the ridge, and just as Saxe was being lowered down.

An ejaculation from the guide made the lad look up; and he saw the
stern, earnest face for a moment, then the fog rolled over it, and the
guide's voice sounded strange as he shouted:

"Go on, young herr; and directly you reach Mr Dale sit fast. Don't
move."

Five minutes later Melchior was with them, and they crouched together,
partly on rock, partly in snow.

"We must not move, herr," said Melchior. "It is unfortunate, but I was
rather afraid. If it had held off for another quarter of an hour, I
should not have cared."

"Will it last long?" asked Saxe.

"Who can say, herr! Perhaps for days. In the