."

"Not long, I hope," said Dale quietly. "You can swing the rope to me as
soon as you are down, and by its help I can swing myself to your ledge
and examine your discovery. Now then: look out! Ready!"

"Yes."

"Then off!"

The rope was thrown and caught dexterously by Saxe, who swung loose in
the act and slipped a little way down.

"Never mind the ice-axe," cried Dale, as he saw the lad begin to climb
up again. "I'll bring that down with me."

Saxe ceased his efforts to regain his former level, and let himself
glide down to the bottom of the gully, where he could climb forward till
he was beyond where Dale was clinging and draw the rope right into his
reach.

"Let go!" cried Dale, seizing the welcome rope; and as Saxe obeyed he
swung himself to and fro again, till this time he was able to land
himself on the ledge the boy had just quitted, and maintained his
position by thrusting his arm into the opening and grasping the handle
of the axe.

"Well," cried Saxe, "is it a crystal cave?" For once more on terra
firma, the peril of his late position was pretty well forgotten.

"Without a doubt," was the reply, after a pause. "I was beginning to
bully you horribly, but after this I suppose I must hold my tongue."

Saxe's spirits, which had been down to zero, rose now to the highest
point.

"Can you break a piece off with the axe?" he said, as he saw that Dale
had twisted the rope round his arm for safety, and was reaching into the
hole as far as his hand would go.

"That is what I have just done," replied Dale; "and now I have lost it.
No: I have it. I can hook it out now. Here it comes." And as Saxe
stood on one side and watched, he saw his companion's arm drawn out,
then by degrees the handle of the axe, and in imagination he saw a tiny
piece of crystal drawn along by the steel head.

"I have it now," cried Dale. "Ah!"

He uttered a loud ejaculation, for his feet had slipped from the narrow
ledge, and he was hanging by one arm, turning slowly round and round.

A sharp struggle enabled him to regain his position, and once back there
he drew out the axe completely, thrust it behind him, through his belt,
and then pushed his hand into the orifice again.

"Throw me a bit of crystal down, and I'll catch it," said Saxe.

Dale laughed, and held out a bluntly pointed, angular piece of dart
stone that looked almost black as he thrust it into his breast. Then,
grasping the rope with hands and feet, h