could do
to bring you down in safety."

"Bring me down?" faltered Saxe. "I do not understand."

"No, herr; we do not understand when we are insensible. You do not
remember my carrying you down the mountain on my back?"

"I? No: of course not! You could not have done so."

The guide laughed softly, and drew the tough pine boughs more over Saxe.

"Are you warm?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so; but we must get up and go in search of Mr Dale."

"We cannot go to-night, without lanthorns and help. Do you think I
should stay here without trying, if it were possible to save Mr Dale's
life?"

"What's that!" moaned Saxe just at that moment; for a shrill cry came
from a distance, followed by a jodel, which Melchior answered as he
stood aside from the fire so as to try and pierce the darkness of the
slope below them.

The jodel was given again, and answered.

"There is help coming, young herr," cried the guide excitedly, as he
shaded his eyes from the fire: "men with lanthorns. Who can they be?"
he muttered to himself. "Smugglers? No, for the jodel was Pierre's,
and the cry was like that of Andregg. Why are they coming here?"

He was not long kept in doubt, for the party, whoever they were, came on
rapidly now, at the sight of the fire, the dim lanthorns dancing and
swinging about in the darkness below, and coming nearer and nearer, as
their bearers ascended the mountain side towards the patch of wood, till
all at once one of them came forward at a run into the light shed by the
fire.

"Melchior!" he panted: "you here! Where is young Saxe?"

"Mr Dale!" cried the guide wonderingly; and at his cry Saxe came
creeping out from the shelter of boughs, and struggled to his feet to
utter a cry of astonishment as he saw the figure of his mountaineering
friend standing full in the fire's light.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

SAXE HAS AN ANTIPATHY.

Dale's first act, as soon as he caught sight of Saxe, was to clasp him
to his breast in a brotherly hug, while, unable to control his feelings,
Saxe responded.

"Oh, my dear boy--my dear lad!" cried Dale; "I was heartbroken about
you."

Saxe tried to reply, but no words would come.

"Thank Heaven you are safe!" cried Dale. "Eh? Ah, Melchior, my man, I
had forgotten you!"

He held out both his hands to the guide, who took a step forward and
folded Dale to his breast.

"I wish to goodness they would not do that," said the Englishman to
himself: "it seems so unmanly