er, till they formed
rushing streams, and lastly rivers, which thundered into the lake.

Then he began thinking of his school-days, and then of his life at home,
and the intense delight he had felt at the prospect of coming out to the
Alps with Dale, the pleasures he had anticipated, and how lightly he had
treated all allusions to danger.

"I'll be careful," he had said: "I can take care of myself." And as he
recalled all this, he dolefully asked himself how he could be careful at
a time like this.

He was in the midst of these musings when Melchior bent down again, and
rose once more so quickly, that Dale shouted to him.

"Rising? Shall we jump in and swim for it at once."

"No, herr; we must wait."

"Ah! look--look!" cried Saxe, pointing downward.

"Yes, yes: what?" cried the others in a breath.

"The poor mule--the poor mule!"

"What?"

"I saw it roll over. Its leg came out, and then I saw its back for a
moment, and it was gone."

"Poor old Gros!" cried Melchior; and he hurried along the shelf as far
as he could go, and knelt down.

He soon returned, looking very sad.

"I just caught a glint of its back in the water, and it was gone. Poor
beast!" he said; "he did not seem to be struggling. I'm afraid he is
gone."

This was a bad omen, and Dale looked very hard, and then Melchior once
more went down on his knees and peered into the stream, to measure it
with his eyes.

"Hah!" he exclaimed, as he got up and began to fumble for his pipe and
matches.

"Risen much?" Dale's eyes said, as he turned them upon the guide.

"No, herr. Heaven be praised! The water is down a hand's breadth since
I looked last. It is falling fast."

Dale turned sharply round and caught Saxe's hand, wringing it so hard
that he gave him pain. Then, extending his hand to Melchior, the guide
took it and held it for a few moments in silence.

"Yes, herr," he said cheerily; then, "I dare say we shall be through in
an hour. The waters flow swiftly, and once the flood is passed the lake
soon gets down again. But I'm sorry poor old Gros is gone."

"I will pay Andregg handsomely for his loss," said Dale quickly; but the
guide shook his head.

"No money will pay for the loss of old friends, herr. Gros has been
looked upon as a companion by Andregg for these many years. It will be
a bitter thing to go and say he is dead."

He was silent for a few minutes. Then, raising his voice, he said
loudly:

"It seems strang