The Crystal Hunters Part 59

"A chamois!" cried Saxe eagerly.

"Chamois don't smoke pipes, my lad," said Dale laughingly.

"I see now," cried Saxe, and he burst out into his imitation of a Swiss jodel, which was answered back as Dale thrust his fingers into his ears.

The boy looked at him as he ceased his cry, and a curious smile puckered up his face.

"Don't you like Melchior's jodel, sir?" he said drily.

Dale understood him, and responded with a laugh; but no more was said, for Melchior sprang down from the rock which he had made his observatory as lightly as a goat, and came to meet them.

"Back again, then," said Dale.

"Yes, herr; and I found your note with the stick through it by the tent door."

"You mean with the stone lying upon it?"

"No, herr: a piece of sharpened pine-wood, driven through it to hold it down."

"Ah, well, you found it," said Dale, with an uneasy glance at Saxe, whose forehead had grown wrinkled.

"Yes, herr, I found it, and followed you till I saw your mark on the ice, and came up here."

"You felt, then, that we came up this ravine!"

"Oh yes, herr; and I was not surprised. It is one of the places I thought likely for crystals, and I see you have found some."

"Pound some? How do you know?" cried Saxe.

"Because I see you have been to one cave and left some of your treasure behind. I found this just inside the way leading to it."

"Then you climbed up?" said Saxe, taking a little crystal of the size of his finger from the guide's hand.

"No, herr; I climbed down," replied Melchior.

"From where? Did you come over the top?"

"No, herr; from the mouth, by the glacier, I came right along the bottom, and turned down into the chasm below."

"What chasm below?" said Dale eagerly.

"Is it possible the herr does not know?"

"We have seen no chasm but this one."

"Then you have not found a cave for crystals?"

"Oh yes!" said Saxe: "there it is;" and he pointed up at the face of the narrow valley to where the dark opening looked like a black mark on the rock.

"I see," said Melchior, looking up. "Yes, that looks a likely place too. I had not seen that."

"It has quite large crystals in it," said Dale.

"Then the herr has been up to see?"

"Yes, Saxe found it; but it is very difficult to get to. How are we to climb up and fasten a rope!"

"It is quite easy," said the guide; and, going back, he made for the ledge, along which he made his way coolly enough till he came to the gap, across which he leaped, thrust his hand into the orifice, and then, to Saxe's horror, leaped back again with wonderful activity, came down and joined them.

"These things have been so little asked for that they have not half been hunted out. I could have got hundredweights if I had known that they were of value to make it worth while."

"But that is a good cavern up there," cried Saxe, who now breathed more freely, as he saw the guide safely down without breaking his neck.

"Oh yes, herr, I dare say; but the one I have found is, I think, better."

"Show us it," said Dale. And after going back about a hundred yards, Melchior suddenly disappeared as if by magic.

"Hi! Melchior! where are you!"

"Here, herr," he replied, showing himself again from behind one of the great jagged ma.s.ses of stone which strewed the ravine. "There is a great crack here."

They climbed over some awkward rocks and joined him, to find that a dismal chasm of great depth went off here at a sharp angle; and some little distance down one of its rugged walls he pointed out a dark opening which seemed unapproachable at first, though a little further examination showed that it was quite possible for a cool-headed man to get down--one who would not think of the dark depths below.

"How came you to find this place?" said Saxe. "We have come by here three times now without seeing it."

"I told you, herr. I found that crystal just there at the entrance to the narrow split--by the stone where you saw me standing."

"And that made you think there must be a crystal cavern near?"

"Yes, herr; and there it is. I wonder it has never been found before.

And yet I do not, for no one but an Englishman would think of coming in a place like this."

"Have you been down to it?"

"Oh yes, herr. It is easy enough to get to; but we will have the rope, to make it easier. Will you come down?"

"Yes; let's see it," said Dale eagerly, while Saxe felt a curious sensation of shrinking as he saw the guide secure one end of his rope to the nearest block of stone that stood up clear.

"Is that strong enough?" said Dale.

"Oh yes, herr; it is not a loose stone, but a solid piece of the rock, and would bear a dozen of us. I will go down first."

He took hold of the rope, slipped over the edge of the shelf upon which they stood, and lowered himself down from b.u.t.tress to ledge and projecting block, and stood the next minute inside the narrow crack.

"Will you go next, Saxe?"

The boy did not reply, but, imitating Melchior's actions as nearly as he could, he lowered himself down, only hesitating once, when he was hanging over the dark hollow up from which came the noise of falling water.

"Come along, herr," said Melchior encouragingly, as he leaned out of the hole and looked up. "Down another foot, and you can find a place to rest upon. The remainder is as easy as can be."