a little
soft, perhaps, but that is all. Go on: we ought to be up there in
another quarter of an hour."

"Yes, herr," said the guide, after another glance up at the wreaths and
folds of pure white snow which draped the mountain high above their
heads; and then, after giving Saxe an encouraging smile, he went on
again, with his boots crunching down the snow, forming a series of
impressions which were deepened by those who followed.

Half the distance--two-thirds--was passed; and as he struggled on,
feeling hot now and as if the exertion were telling upon him, Saxe
glanced back, wondering at the length of the track they had made, and
how the snowfield had seemed to extend as they trudged along.

"Yes," said Dale, from close behind him, as he divined the boy's
thoughts, "it is a long way; but we shall soon reach the rocks now, and
then the worst part of our journey is done."

Crack!

A long dull report, as of something breaking; and Melchior stopped short
and uttered a groan.

"What is it?" cried Dale excitedly.

"The snow, herr--the snow!" cried Melchior. "See!"

He spoke calmly and solemnly, but made no effort to dash on; though, as
he realised their danger, Dale's first impulse was to call upon Saxe to
try and reach the rocks.

Melchior knew that it would be impossible, and he stood firm, ready to
meet his fate.

For far above them a dark jagged line had opened across the snowfield,
with the dull report they had heard. That crack had begun to widen
rapidly, with a curious hissing noise, and the next moment Saxe saw that
the vast snow slope was in motion, and that they were being carried by
it downward toward the valley, a couple of thousand yards below.

Everything happened so quickly that the boy had no time to feel alarm.
One quick thought darted through his brain,--that they would be carried
so far down that they would have to make a long detour. Then his arm
was seized by Melchior, and a sound above him made him gaze upward, to
see that the snow was forming in long folds, like waves, upon the slope,
and threatening to curve over and bury them. Then their speed
increased, the rolling sound rose into a terrific roar, and the boy
fully grasped the fact that they had started an avalanche, and were
being hurried downward to destruction.

"Can't we--we--"

Saxe said no more, for at that moment a rush of snow swept by them as if
borne upon the wings of some terrible tempest, and in the midst of the
s