iece had been cut down from the mountain, and left guile separate
and still standing.

Up this cleft they mounted steadily, till, to Saxe's surprise, he found
himself high above the mighty wall which shut in the valley, and only
now, as it were, at the foot of the mountains, which rose up fold beyond
fold, apparently endless, and for the most part snow-capped, with snow
lying deeply in the hollows, and filling up the narrow col or depression
between the peaks where they were to pass.

Saxe looked up at the snow, and then at Dale, who also seemed to have
his doubts.

"Can we pass that before dark?" he said.

"Yes, herr. Trust me: I know."

"But how far have we to go on the other side? If it is very far, had we
not better camp here for the night?"

"When we reach the summit of the col, herr, our task is done. There is
a deep hollow, well sheltered, and where the snow never falls."

"I leave myself in your hands, Melchior," said Dale. "Go on."

The climb over the rugged ground was very laborious, but there was a
brisk freshness in the air which kept fatigue at a distance, and they
toiled on up and up, with the sloping rays of the sun making the snow
above them indescribably beautiful.

"Yes," said Saxe, "but I'm getting too tired and out of breath to enjoy
it now. I'll do that to-morrow."

"The young herr shall come and see the sun rise on the snow passes,"
said Melchior. "I will call him."

"No, don't, please," said Saxe. "I shall want two days' sleep after
this."

The guide laughed, patted Gros, who trudged on as fresh apparently as
ever, till they reached the rough culm of a ridge, to look down at once
on the snow slope to which they had to descend for a couple of hundred
feet, the ridge they were on acting as a buttress to keep the snow from
gliding down into the valley.

"Is that the last?" asked Saxe.

"Yes, herr. One hour's quiet, steady work. Half an hour after, the
fire will be burning and the kettle boiling for our tea."

"What! up there in that snow!"

"No, herr: we shall have descended into the warm shelter of which I
spoke."

They soon reached the foot of the snow, which rose up in one broad
smooth sheet, pure and white beyond anything existing lower down, and
as, now thoroughly tired, Saxe gazed up at the beautiful curve
descending from the mountains on either side, it seemed to be a
tremendous way up.

"The snow is pretty hard," said Melchior. "Use my steps."

He clapped t