liar cry rang out somewhere close at hand.

"What's that?" he cried excitedly.

"The mule trumpeting a welcome back," cried Dale. "We are close there
now;" and, in effect, five minutes after they were in the sheltered
nook, where Melchior stumbled to the tent and dropped down under its
shelter.

"Quick, Saxe! The fire and hot coffee for the poor fellow!"

Saxe was wakeful enough now, and in a very short time the coffee kettle
was steaming, while the fire threw strange shadows on the rocky wall.

Dale had not been idle. His first proceeding had been to throw a couple
of rugs over their companion, who in due time sat up to drink the hot
coffee with avidity. He could only eat a few morsels of bread, but he
partook of the coffee again, and then sank back to drop into a heavy
sleep, and Saxe and Dale sat watching him for some time, forgetting
their own mental and bodily weariness in their anxiety respecting the
poor fellow's state. But after bending over him several times, and
always with the same satisfactory discovery that the sufferer was
sleeping easily and well, both Dale and Saxe yielded to their own desire
to lie down, carrying on a conversation one minute and the next to be
sleeping as heavily as the guide.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

MELCHIOR'S ADVENTURE.

Saxe woke the next morning with a start, and, as full recollection came,
he looked round at where Melchior lay; but he was not there. Dale was,
however, sleeping soundly; and creeping silently out, so as not to
awaken him, Saxe found, to his surprise, that the guide was seated by
the fire, feeding it carefully and sparingly with sticks, so as to get
all the flame to bear upon the coffee kettle; and, to Saxe's great
delight, he seemed to be much as usual.

"Why, Melk," he said, "I was afraid you would be very bad."

"I? Oh no, herr. I was very bad last night, and it was hard work to
get back here; but the sleep did me good. You see, we mountain people
get used to being knocked about, and I am not much hurt."

"But--"

"Yes, I'll tell you presently, when the master is awake: it is not
pleasant to talk about twice. Here he is."

"Why, Melchior, man, you surprise me!" cried Dale, shaking hands warmly.
"Here have I been dreaming all night about a long journey to fetch a
_chaise a porteurs_ to carry you down, and here you are just as usual."

"Yes, herr; and the coffee will be ready by the time you have had your
bath."

"But I want to know--"