ems nonsensical. I never
heard of there being gold in these mountains. Yet it may be so, and too
much longing after gold is said to turn people crazy. I shouldn't
wonder if it did."

Thoughts are proverbial wanderers, and of a wayward spirit, and not easy
of restraint. They are often very honest too, and refuse to flatter.
As the youth lay on his back gazing dreamily from that giddy height on
the first faint tinge of light that suffused the eastern sky, his
thoughts rambled on in the same channel.

"Strange, that a chamois-hunter should become a gold-hunter. How much
more respectable the former occupation, and yet how many gold-hunters
there are in the world! Gamblers are gold-hunters; and I was a gambler
once! Aha! Mr Lewis, the cap once fitted you! Fitted, did I say? It
fits still. Have I not been playing billiards every night nearly since
I came here, despite Captain Wopper's warnings and the lesson I got from
poor Leven? Poor Leven indeed! it's little gold that he has, and _I_
robbed him. However, I paid him back, that's one comfort, and my stakes
now are mere trifles--just enough to give interest to the game. Yet,
shame on you, Lewie; can't you take interest in a game for its own sake?
The smallest coin staked involves the spirit of gambling. You
shouldn't do it, my boy, you know that well enough, if you'd only let
your conscience speak out. And Nita seems not to like it too--ah, Nita!
She's as good as gold--as good! ten million times better than the
finest gold. I wonder why that queer careworn look comes over her angel
face when she hears me say that I've been having a game of billiards? I
might whisper some flattering things to myself in reference to this,
were it not that she seems just as much put out when any one else talks
about it. Ah, Nita!"

It is unnecessary to follow the youth's thoughts further, for, having
got upon Nita, they immediately ceased their wayward wandering practices
and remained fixed on that theme.

Soon afterwards, the light being sufficient the mountaineers rose and
continued their descent which was accomplished after much toil and
trouble, and they proceeded at a quick pace over the glacier towards the
place where the chamois had been left the previous day.

"Why are you so fond of gold, Le Croix?" said Lewis, abruptly, and in a
half-jesting tone, as they walked along.

The hunter's countenance flushed deeply, and he turned with a look of
severity towards his