ver
the hills there, right up the valley?"

He pointed to a dazzling snowy peak which ran up like a roughly shaped,
blunted spear head glistening in the morning air.

"Das Dusselhorn," said the guide. "Hochte spitze? Nein."

"What is the height, Melchior?"

"How high, herr?--how tall? Eleven thousand English feet."

"Why it does not look much higher than Saint Paul's."

"You must remember that you are amongst the great peaks," said Dale,
"and that it takes time to educate your eyes to the size of everything
about you."

"But it looks as if you could get to the top in an hour," said Saxe.

"Does it?" said Dale, smiling. "Then what do you say to this?" And he
pointed up at the huge mass of rock, streaked with ravines full of snow,
which formed one side of the valley in which they stood.

"Lenstock," said the guide.

"How long would it take us to get up to the top, Melchior?"

"Too late to-day, herr. Start at three o'clock with lanthorn while the
schnee-snow is hard. Ten hours to go up, seven to come down."

Richard Dale looked at his young companion, whose forehead was wrinkled,
as he stared up at the huge mass of rock from its lower green alps or
pastures, up over the grey lichened stone, to where the streakings of
white snow began, and then higher and higher to the region of
everlasting ice.

"Well," he said at last, as he lowered his eyes to the guide and the
strong, resolute-looking man beside him, "I--"

A quick change came over him, and with a laughing look he continued
quickly:

"Not travellers' tales, eh?"

"Travellers' tales?" said the guide slowly.

"He means, are you deceiving him?" said Dale.

The guide shook his head gravely.

"The great mountains are too solemn to speak anything but truth in their
shade."

"Well," said Saxe slowly, "then it's the mountains that deceive."

"Wait a bit, boy, and you'll soon learn how great they are. It takes
time. Now, understand this: I do not want to interfere with your
enjoyment; but if we are to carry out my plans, it must be work and not
play."

"Why not both?" said Saxe merrily.

"Because we must husband our strength, so as to always have a little
left to use in an emergency. Now, then, we understand each other, do we
not?"

"Yes, Mr Dale."

"Then forward."

The guide nodded his head good-humouredly; but he did not stir.

"Well?" said the Englishman.

"Let us understand each other," said the guide quietly. "Those who go
u