aid no more, but unfastened the rope, and after coiling it up,
led them along for some distance, till the great cornice was left
behind, and they descended into a little valley over snow, ice and rock,
till they reached the stream hurrying down the hollow, crossed it, made
a similar ascent, and just as Saxe had it in his mind to say, "I thought
we were going over that snowfield," they climbed up through a little
wilderness of blocks, and they were upon the edge of the unsullied
slope, which ran up to left and down to their right apparently for a
mile.

"Ah!" cried Dale, springing upon the snow, which allowed his feet to
sink in a little; "capital condition! Now, Melchior, forward!"

"Yes, herr," said the guide, testing the snow with his foot; "there will
be no steps to cut here."

He then started off to cross the great snowfield diagonally, so as to
reach the rocks at the far top corner, his feet sinking more deeply into
the soft crystals than was conducive to good progress, and Saxe first,
and then Dale, keeping pretty well to his footprints.

"Disappointing, this," said Dale, when they were about a third of the
way across. "I thought we were to have nothing but downward progress
now."

"It is puffing work, too!" cried Saxe.

"Herr! herr!" said the guide, stopping short in his tracks, and speaking
in a reproachful whisper.

"What's the matter?" said Saxe.

"There is a great deal of loose snow high up on our left, and if you set
any of it in motion it would be bad."

"I forgot," said Saxe apologetically. "I will be more careful."

"That's right," said Dale. "Not much danger, though, here. No fear of
being bombarded by stones--eh, Melchior?"

"No, herr," said the guide, looking about him anxiously. "Shall we get
on?"

Dale nodded, and they tramped on through the soft snow for some distance
farther; when, just as Saxe was asking himself whether he was growing
tired or the snow much more soft, Melchior paused once more and looked
upward.

"Yes--what is it?" said Dale quickly.

"A minute's rest for the young herr, sir. As soon as he has his breath
well go on. The snow is loose, but better than I expected. I was a
little afraid at starting."

"Afraid? Of what?"

"The snow is often a little treacherous in a place like this, herr; and
as it is so loose we shall have to be careful about glissading when we
get beyond the rocks yonder."

"But surely there is nothing treacherous here?" said Dale: "