breakfast,
which entailed a severe fight with self, for a sensation of hunger soon
developed itself. But he won by a vigorous effort, and, after all was
ready, forced himself away from the fire and the kettle, walking right
out of the niche, to stand watching the glorious changes on the mountain
peaks, and the lines of light slowly creeping, downward and driving out
the shadows where it was still night while high up amongst the
glittering ice fields it was glorious day.

"Oh, how different it all looks in the sunshine!" thought Saxe. "Which
did he say was the Blitzenhorn? I forget."

Then he began to think about the day's work before them--the tramp up
beside the glacier, the climb along the black ravine, right in among the
mountains, and the exploration of the caves.

"Well, we shall have found some crystals to take back," he thought.
"Wish it was breakfast time, though. What am I to do to amuse myself
till Mr Dale wakes?"

At that moment a peculiar whinnying noise fell upon his ears, and he
started off down the mountain side in the direction from which the sound
had come.

"Better company than none," he said, laughing. "Here: where are you,
old chap?"

There was of course no answer, and he was some little time before he
could make out the mule, whose colour assimilated wonderfully with the
browny-grey rocks. But at last he saw it, end on, standing gazing up a
narrow valley, and climbed down to find that it was in the midst of a
fair spread of short whortleberry growth, whose shoots had evidently
been his fare.

As Saxe drew nearer he could see that, in spite of the animal's warmth,
the longer hairs about the mule were covered with hoar-frost, and at
every breath a couple of jets of white vapour were sent forth from the
mule's nostrils.

The mule took no heed of his approach, but gave vent to another long,
loud, complaining whinny, and kept its head stretched out and its ears
pointed in the direction of the top of the valley high above them.

"Hullo, Gros!" cried Saxe, as he approached; and the mule turned a
little more away as the boy approached.

"Do you hear?" cried Saxe, stepping aside so as to get up to the mule's
head; but that head was averted a little in the other direction, and the
animal's hind quarters were presented.

"Now, stupid--I mean Dumkoff--I was going to pat your head. I can't
shake hands with your tail!"

He darted sharply a few paces to the other side, but the mule carefully