nothing but the
pale blue sides of the ice going down perpendicularly to where, growing
from pale to dark blue, they became black as the darkness out of which
came the deep, loud, hissing, rushing sound of waters which he had heard
before.

"He must be lying down there stunned by his fall!" cried Dale; and then
to himself, in a whisper full of despair--"if he is not killed."

"Melk! Melk!" yelled Saxe just then. But there was nothing but the
strange echo of his own voice, mingled with the curious hissing rush of
water, which sounded to the listeners like the hurried whisperings and
talk of beings far down below.

"Ahoy, Melchior!" cried Dale, now shouting with all his might.

No answer; and he shouted again.

"Do--do you feel sure he did fall down here?" said Saxe with difficulty,
for his voice seemed to come from a throat that was all dry, and over a
tongue that was parched.

"There can be no doubt about it," said Dale sadly. "Oh, poor fellow!
poor fellow! I feel as if I am to blame for his death."

"Melk--Mel-chi-or!" shouted Saxe, with his hands to his mouth, as he lay
there upon his chest, and he tried to send his voice down into the dark
depths below.

There was a curious echo, that was all; and he lay listening to the
rushing water and trying to pierce the darkness which looked like a
mist.

At another time he would have thought of the solemn beauty of the place,
with its wonderful gradations of blue growing deeper as they descended.
Now there was nothing but chilly horror, for the chasm was to him the
tomb of the faithful companion and friend of many days.

Dale shouted again with all his might, but there were only the
awe-inspiring, whispering echoes, as his voice reverberated from the
smoothly fractured ice, and he rose to his feet, but stood gazing down
into the crevasse.

"Yes, he is lying there, stunned and helpless--perhaps dead," he added
to himself. "Saxe, one of us must go down and help him."

"Of course," cried Saxe, speaking out firmly, though a curious sensation
of shrinking came over him as he spoke. "I'll go."

"I would go myself, boy," said Dale huskily; "but it is impossible. You
could not draw me out, and I'm afraid that I could not climb back;
whereas I could lower you down and pull you up again."

"Yes, I'll go!" cried Saxe excitedly.

"One moment, my lad. You must recollect what the task means."

"To go down and help Melchior."

"Yes; and taking the rope from roun