The Crystal Hunters Part 21

"I am awake," said that personage. "Is there any water near here? Oh yes, I remember. Well, Saxe, had your bath?"

Saxe looked confused, and said nothing.

"I asked you if you had had your bath, my lad," said Mr Dale, looking at him wonderingly.

"Well, the fact is," stammered the boy, "there was no jug or basin, and I--"

"Forgot it?" said Dale.

"Yes, I forgot it," replied the boy, with an effort; and as he spoke he felt to himself that this was a touch of moral, though it was not physical, cowardice, for he ought to have spoken out frankly.

"Well, I'm going to have mine. How long will the coffee be, Melchior?"

"Not a quarter of an hour, herr."

"Right. We'll soon be back," cried Dale; and a few minutes after he and Saxe were having a good scrub about the neck and shoulders, and glowing as if from an electric shock, so brisk and sharp was the water that came tumbling down over the rocks in the middle of one of the clumps of pines whose tops were freshened by the little cascade.

Back to the alfres...o...b..eakfast, which Dale ate with his back resting against a block of stone nestling in a ma.s.s of whortleberry, and gazing up at the mountain, while he and Melchior discussed the plan of their ascent.

"Yes," said Dale, "you are right. We ought to take to the snow there, cross to that arete, and--"

"What's an arete?" said Saxe, who was listening eagerly.

"That ridge along the summit of yonder spur or b.u.t.tress," said Dale.

"That will bring us back to the main part of the mountain, and we ought to reach the shoulder from there."

"No, herr," said the guide quietly; "the climbing would be too steep, and there is a slope there which later on will be swept by loose stones.

Better take to the snow again, then work up it."

"But suppose it is in bad condition?"

"It will be shaded from the sun till the afternoon, and quite hard.

From there, you see, we can easily get to the shoulder, and then choose our way up the last part by the rocks or the snow. You see that either can be reached: that is plain enough from here."

"Yes, it looks easy," said Dale thoughtfully. "The rock for preference, for I want to see the structure, and we may find specimens of what I am seeking."

"Yonder will be most likely," said Melchior, pointing to a huge ma.s.s of dark mountain a few miles away, part of which was now glowing in the morning sun, whose bright rays made the ice and snow glitter on a score of peaks.

"We'll, try that later on," said Dale. "Have you never been up it?"

"No, herr; but I have been on others, where little crystals have been found in cracks; and they were mountains like that--very steep-sided, and having little snow."

"There's plenty of time," said Dale, raising his gla.s.s to examine the farther mountain attentively. "We'll try that by-and-by. Has it any name?"

"The Black Nun, herr. That is the White Nun, on beyond it, to the right."

"Yes, I'll keep to my original plan," said Dale, looking up once more to the mountain at whose foot they sat, "and in half an hour we'll be off.

How many hours will it take us?"

"Eight or nine, herr. It depends on--"

He paused and looked at Saxe.

"To be sure, yes," said Dale thoughtfully. "I think," he continued, to Saxe's great relief, "that, as this one is rather difficult and dangerous--"

"It ought not to be dangerous, herr, if we are careful."

"Well, then, difficult," continued Dale--"you had better content yourself, Saxe, by staying here in camp and watching us with the gla.s.s."

Saxe changed his position viciously.

"I wish you would not think me such a coward, sir," he said, with a display of temper. "I am to learn to climb: why not let me begin now?"

As soon as he had spoken he repented; for he felt nervous about so steep a climb, and he told himself that, by his hasty words and a.s.sumption of eagerness, he had made his feelings clear to those who listened.

Dale looked at him searchingly, and Saxe coloured beneath his gaze.

"If it would be more satisfaction to you to come with us, do so by all means. It will be hard and toilsome, but Melchior and I will take, care of you."

"Oh, if they would not think me such a cowardly child!" thought Saxe.

Then, aloud--

"I should like to come, and I'll do the best I can to keep up with you."

"And if there is a bit of extra difficult climbing, why, you--you must wait till we come back."

"Yes, I could do that," replied Saxe; and as soon as the breakfast was ended a wallet was filled with food, a couple of bottles with water, and Melchior took the rope, pa.s.sed his head and right arm through it, and looked at Dale as much as to say, "I am ready."

"Will these things be all right?" said the latter, taking an ice-axe from where it hung up on a tree; and he pointed to the basket.

"There is no one here to touch them, herr."

"And the mule?"

"He will not wander far from the basket, herr. We shall find him close at hand."

"Then, forward!" said Dale; and the little party began the ascent almost directly, their way being back up the snow slope down which, on the previous day, Saxe had made so rapid a descent; and it was only now that the boy realised how far he had come.

"It will be easy coming back, herr," said Melchior, as they stopped for a few minutes to rest, "and you must not lose your balance this time."

"Only a little out of breath," replied Saxe; but as he spoke he could not help giving a glance up at the huge pile of granite, ice and snow towering high above his head.

Dale laughed.

"Well, Saxe," he said, "are you beginning to find out how high the mountains are?"

Saxe nodded.

"Yes," he said; "they deceive you at a distance. Is this the highest?"