, sparkling in the sunshine, while the
others followed his zigzag track with care. There were times when the
foothold gave way, but there was no element of danger in the ascent,
which did not prove to be so steep as it had looked before it was
attacked. But the ascent was long, and the couloir curved round as they
climbed higher, displaying a fresh length of ascent invisible from
below.

As they turned the corner Melchior paused for them to look about them,
and upward toward where the gully ended in a large field of snow, above
and beyond which was steeply scarped mountain, rising higher and higher
toward a distant snowy peak.

"But we are not going right up that mountain, are we?" cried Saxe,
panting and breathless.

"Not to-day," replied the guide. "No: up to the snow yonder, and along
its edge for a little way, and then we descend on the other side, where
it will be all downward to Andregg's chalet. Hah! Down close! Quick!"

He set the example, flinging himself upon his face and extending his
hands above his head, as a whizzing sound was heard; then a dull thud or
two and directly after there was a crash on the rocky side of the
couloir a few feet above their heads, followed by a shower of slaty
fragments which fell upon them, while a great fragment, which had become
detached far above, glanced off, struck the other side of the gully, and
then went downward, ploughing up the snow.

"Take care!" again cried the guide. "No," he said directly after, "it
is only a few bits."

The few consisted of what might easily have been a cartload of snow,
which passed them with a rush, fortunately on the opposite side of the
gully.

"I say, Mr Dale," said Saxe, rather nervously, "if that piece of slate
had hit either of us--"

"Hah!" ejaculated Dale, drawing in his breath with a hiss, "if it had
hit us--"

They neither of them finished their sentence; and just then Melchior
started once more, lessening the difficulty of the ascent by zigzagging
the way.

Snow was dislodged, and went gliding down the gully, and for a moment a
great patch began to slide, taking Dale with it, but a few rapid leaps
carried him beyond it; and tightening the rope as soon as he had reached
a firm place, Saxe was able to pick his way after the snow had gone by
him with a rush, but only to stop a little lower down.

Another climb of about a quarter of an hour's duration brought them to
the edge of the field of snow, which Melchior exami