es; but right over among the mountains, herr. It was a great fall,
though, or we should not have heard it here."

He plodded steadily on, and Saxe noted that he kept his eyes down and
seemed to make a business of every step, measuring exactly where he
should plant it, and keeping hold, as it were, with his other foot till
he was sure that his new step was safe. Not that this took long, but it
appeared to be all carefully studied, and the boy learned that such
caution must be the result of experience and mean safety in his arduous
climbing.

The glacier wound in serpentine fashion along the valley, growing wilder
and grander as they ascended. There were masses of piled-up ice, and
crevasses into whose blue depths they peered as they listened to the
hollow echoing sounds of running water. Some of these were stepped over
in an ordinary stride, some had to be jumped; and, though the distance
was short, Saxe felt a curious shrinking sensation as he leaped across a
four or five feet rift, whose sides were clear blue ice, going right
down to what would in all probability mean death to one who fell. Then
on again, till it seemed to the lad that they must have journeyed that
one mile upward several times over; and, at last, before them there was
snow filling up all the irregularities, and offering them a soft smooth
path.

It was not snow, though, such as he had seen in England, for it looked
more like a thick layer of softened hailstones, which he could scoop up
and let fall separately, or scatter at large to glisten in the sun,
while upon trying it the particles crackled and crushed under their
feet, but felt pretty firm.

"What are you stopping for?" said Dale.

"I don't quite like the look of the snow on beyond this first old part,"
said the guide. "You have no alpenstock or ice-axe either."

"Shall we give up going any farther to-day?" said Dale.

"No, herr: because I want to get round that piece of rock which runs out
from the side. Beyond that there is a couloir running right up to the
ridge, and it will be the easiest place for us to mount."

As he spoke he took the coil of rope from across his chest, and began to
unfasten the end.

"Is that necessary?" asked Dale; while Saxe looked wonderingly on.

"Who knows, herr? It is the duty of a guide to take care his people run
no risks. I want to be a good guide to mine."

"What are we going to do?" asked Saxe.

"Rope ourselves together in case the snow c