held a similar opinion, but the Professor bade
them wait and see.

Baptist, throwing off his pack, and fastening a rope round his waist,
which his comrades held, advanced to the extreme edge of the ice, and
with his long-handled axe, gently patted the snow on the opposite side.
The surface yielded, and it seemed as if even that small weight would
break the lump _off_, but the operation consolidated the mass in a few
minutes, by reason of what the Professor termed "regelation." He then
stepped tenderly on it, crossed over, and drew the rope after him.
Antoine followed next, and in a few minutes the whole party was safe on
the other side.

"Dr Lawrence," said Slingsby, in a low grave tone, as they walked along
after this, "if we ever see Chamouni again I shall be surprised."

"Indeed?" returned Lawrence, with a short laugh, "I don't take quite so
gloomy a view of our case. Don't you think that the free and easy,
quiet look of our guide and porters indicates that such work looks more
dangerous than it really is?"

"I don't know that," said the artist, shaking his head, "when men get
thoroughly accustomed to danger they become foolhardy, and don't realise
it. I think it sheer madness to cross such places."

Lewis, who overheard the conversation, could scarce refrain from a burst
of laughter.

"Upon my word, Slingsby," said he, "such observations come strangely
from the lips of a man, who only a day or two ago was caught sketching
on a snow-wreath over the edge of a crevasse."

"Ah, but I didn't know it," retorted the other, "and even if I _had_
known it, the ledge of snow was immensely stronger than that on which we
have just stood."

At this point the conversation was interrupted by the guide stopping and
saying that it was now necessary to tie the party together.

They had reached those higher parts of the glacier where snow frequently
falls and covers, to some extent the narrower crevasses, thus, by
concealing them, rendering them extremely dangerous traps. It therefore
became necessary to attach the various members of the party together by
means of a rope, which, passing round their waists, with a few feet
between each, enabled them to rescue any one who should chance to break
through.

Thus, in a string, they advanced, and had scarcely proceeded a hundred
yards when a surprised "hallo!" from Captain Wopper arrested them. He
had sunk up to the knees in snow. A "hallo!" of alarm instantly
succeeded.