de with the food, and they
started after leaving wood and water ready for a fire when they
returned.

The ravine was duly reached, Gros having proved himself an admirable
climber on the ice, and he made no objection to ascending the black
ravine for some distance; but at last it grew too bad for him, and he
was tethered to a block of stone and left to meditate and lick the
moisture which trickled down, for there was no pasture--not so much as a
patch of moss.

Then the climb went on, Dale asking the guide if he thought the mule
could get back with a load of crystals in the pannier.

"That depends on the weight, herr. If it is too much for him, we must
help, or we must all go twice."

In due time they reached the rock beyond which was the way down to the
lower grotto; but though it would have been tempting to have explored
this with lights, it was decided to leave it for the present, and to go
on and break into the cave discovered by Saxe.

"Well," said Dale, as they stood beneath it and gazed upon the black
crevice, "do you think you can get at it so as to use a hammer and the
chisel?"

"Oh yes, herr," said Melchior quietly; and thrusting the hammer handle
and the chisel through his belt, he went up and along the ledge with
wonderful agility, sprang across on to the projecting block, and then
Saxe watched him eagerly as he saw him drive in the point of the
geological hammer as high up as he could reach, and use it to hold by
while he climbed higher and got his feet on the lower edge of the
opening, where he stood with his hand inside to steady himself while he
wriggled out the hammer. Then, holding this in his breast, they saw him
take a steel spike from his pocket, and after a little examination
thrust the point in a crevice which looked like an upward continuation
of the opening into the grotto. This done, a sharp stroke or two from
the hammer enabled him to fix the spike sufficiently firmly to enable
him to hold on by it with his left hand while he drove it in firmly with
the hammer before passing the double rope over it, and making a sling in
which he could sit opposite the opening and work.

"There, Saxe, neither you nor I could have done that," said Dale, as the
guide settled himself in the loop swinging before the mouth of the
grotto.

"It makes my hands feel wet," whispered Saxe. "Look!"

For Melchior was already hard at work with hammer and chisel, cutting
off great angles that obstructed the wa