arm tint in the afternoon's sunlight.
Then, making an effort, he spoke: "You will of course get men and
ropes?"

"Yes; and bring back a crowbar or tamping iron, and a heavy hammer to
drive it into the ice."

Saxe sighed, and, forgetting his weariness, stepped out quickly over the
rugged way, as they kept as nearly as they could to the invisible track
they had followed during the ascent.

The sun was now getting so low down that the great ragged pyramids and
crags of ice cast fantastic shadows eastward. There was a deep orange
glow in the sky, and at another time they would have stopped enchanted
by the dazzling beauty of the effects before them; but now Saxe could
see nothing but the pale face of their guide, as he lay far below with
his staring eyes fixed upon the narrow rift beyond which was the evening
sky; and at such times as the boy conjured up this ghastly picture in
his brain, his eyes grew misty, and he stumbled and slipped upon the
rugged ice which formed their way.

"We must press on," said Dale; "we have not come down above a mile, and
it is a long way yet. We must not be amongst these seracs and crevasses
after dark."

"I can walk faster," said Saxe heavily, and he increased his pace.

But it was in many places a task requiring careful descent, and every
time they came upon a crevasse Saxe felt a curious shrinking, which
called for a strong effort of will to enable him to make the necessary
spring to leap across, while several of the wider ones which had been
leaped in coming up were now avoided by a detour to the left.

All these incidents made their descent slower; and as Dale thought of
the long distance yet to go, he grew more and more anxious.

"Saxe," he said at last, as they were now slowly passing along the rocks
by the side of the glacier, which they had now left to avoid some
patches of rugged ice, "I'm afraid we shall have to rest here in some
niche as soon as darkness comes on. I can't trust to my memory to find
the way farther when the light has gone."

"What's that?" said Saxe, catching his arm.

Dale stopped and listened; but the place was utterly still for a few
minutes, and then there was a sharp crack and a rattling noise.

"Piece of ice broken off and fallen."

"No, no; I did not mean that," cried Saxe, as his eyes wandered upward
among the broken ice now beginning to look cold and grey. "There!--
there!"

A faint chipping sound was heard as the lad spoke; but as they