ark lay
before them, in all its awful magnificence. Naked rocks and icebergs
stretched up into the clouds, and the pale green vallies interspersed
between the masses of stone, ice and snow, appeared as if nature was
here already preparing for her long winter's repose.

At the moment when the wanderers had arrived at the foot of the first
ascent, Arwed's guide, giving a shriek of terror, and pointing with a
trembling hand towards a black fir-tree in the road, turned and fled so
suddenly into the forest, that Arwed was soon obliged to give up all
thoughts of calling him back. Surprised, he now looked toward the
fir-tree which had caused the Laplander's panic. The view was
sufficiently horrible. The bloody head of a Laplander was affixed to
one of the under branches of the tree. Near it was suspended a tablet,
upon which in large letters was inscribed--'Punishment of treachery to
Naddock and his brethren.'

'Shameless insolence!' exclaimed Arwed, with indignation at the
impudence of the robber, who, to screen his own crimes, had here
executed a lawless penal judgment with Turkish barbarity. Approaching
the tree, he long and sorrowfully examined the mute, pale, yellow face.
'Poor victim,' he exclaimed, 'how mournfully thou lookest down upon me,
as if thou wouldst warn me from the path which probably led thee to
death. It would indeed be hard for me so to end my life. Yet my second
father must be saved, and it is unbecoming a man to turn back from an
enterprise which he has once commenced. No, fearlessly and cheerfully
will I go on, and if my undertaking succeed, thy death also shall find
an avenger!'

A clattering, as if from the approach of many people, interrupted the
earnest monologue. Arwed slipped among the bushes beside the way,
and about ten men, of wild and ferocious aspect, armed with knives,
iron-mounted cudgels, and some of them with muskets, came down from the
mountain and passed directly by him, gabbling among themselves in their
unintelligible gibberish, without being aware of his near proximity.

They had no sooner showed him their backs, than he hastily arose and
proceeded up the mountain with rapid strides.

With toilsome efforts Arwed succeeded in following the Laplander's
directions. At length he found the glacier brook, and at the same time
the end of his journey. A huge mass of bare, dark-gray rocks,
surrounded by ice-mountains, towered up into the clouds in terrible
majesty. Upon their summit lay