ghted and took off the mule's bridle to turn it loose, when
it immediately proved that nothing was the matter in its direction by
having a good roll in the grass and then proceeding to crop it with the
best of appetites.

"Light your pipe, herr," said Melchior, smiling: "I dare say I shall be
back before you have got through it twice;" and springing from rock to
rock, he soon reached the ledge nearly flush with the water, and they
watched him enter the low narrow long chasm till his figure grew dim in
the gloom; and a minute later had disappeared.

"I don't feel comfortable at letting him go, Saxe," said Dale.

"I do, sir," began Saxe.

"Stop!" cried Dale.

"What's the matter, sir?" cried Saxe, wondering.

"This, my boy! Never mind the sir while we are out here as companions.
We are friends and helpmates--brothers if you like. Now what were you
going to say?"

"Oh! only that I don't feel uneasy about him. A man who could tumble
into the water at the other end and be shot through like a pellet from a
popgun, can't come to any harm. I say, how long do you think he'll be?"

"Nearly an hour," replied Dale.

"Nearly an hour," cried Saxe dolefully--"an hour to wait before we can
get anything to eat. Ah! you lucky beggar," he continued,
apostrophising the mule, "you've got plenty, and are enjoying it, while
I've got none. But I mean to--"

"Here! what are you going to do?" cried Dale.

"Climb down to the water's edge and have a good drink. I'm as thirsty
as a fish."

"Then we must look out for a spring. You can't drink that water."

"Can't drink it?" cried Saxe; "why, I'm so thirsty, I could drink
anything."

"Not that. Why, it's full of stone and snow. Bad as bad can be. Come
along, and let's see what we can find. It will be better than doing
nothing; and I'm thirsty too. Let's try that little rift in the
mountain. It looks the sort of place for a rivulet to come sparkling
down amongst moss and ferns. Let's try."

He led the way toward the rift, which looked like the beginning of a
similar chasm to that through which they had so lately come, Saxe
following closely behind, while the mule went on crop, crop at the thin
fine grass, with his coat rapidly drying in the hot afternoon sun.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

A GLISSADE IS NOT ALL BLISS.

It took a long time to find that bubbling spring; but they discovered it
at last, coming down from hundreds of feet above their heads, over vivid
green moss