Y TWO.

THE GLACIER SLIDE.

"An avalanche!" cried Karl Linden, as the first crash fell upon his ear;
but on turning, he saw his mistake.

"No," he continued, with a look of terror, "it is not an avalanche! My
God! my God! _the glacier is in motion_!"

He did not need to point out the spot. The eyes of Caspar and Ossaroo
were already turned upon it.--Away down the ravine as far as they could
see the surface of the glacier appeared in motion, like sea-billows;
huge blocks of ice were thrown to the top and rolled over, with a
rumbling crashing noise, while large blue fragments raised high above
the general surface, were grinding and crumbling to pieces against the
faces of the cliffs. A cloud of snow-spray, rising like a thick white
mist, filled the whole ravine--as if to conceal the work of ruin that
was going on--and underneath this ghostly veil, the crushing and tearing
for some moments continued. Then all at once the fearful noises ceased,
and only the screaming of the birds, and the howling of beasts,
disturbed the silence of the place.

Pale, shuddering, almost paralysed by fear, the hunters had thrown
themselves on their hands and knees, expecting every moment to feel the
glacier move beneath them,--expecting to sink beneath the surface, or be
crushed amidst the billows of that icy sea. So long as the dread sounds
echoed in their ears, their hearts were filled with consternation, and
long after the crashing and crackling ceased, they remained the victims
of a terrible suspense; but they felt that that portion of the glacier
upon which they were did not move. It still remained firm; would it
continue so?

They knew not the moment it, too, might commence sliding downward, and
bury them under its masses, or crush them in some deep crevasse.

O heavens! the thought was fearful. It had paralysed them for a moment;
and for some time after the noises had ceased, they remained silent and
motionless. Indeed, absurd as it may seem, each dreaded to stir, lest
the very motion of his body might disturb the icy mass upon which he was
kneeling!

Reflection soon came to their aid. It would never do to remain there.
They were still exposed to the danger. Whither could they retreat? Up
the ravine might be safer? Above them the ice had not yet stirred. The
ruin had all been below--below the crevasse they had just crossed.

Perhaps the rocks would afford a footing? They would not move, at all
events, even if th