mountains, when the
weather is bad, we can only wait and hope."

"Had we not better try to get down off this edge?"

"As a last resource, if the mist does not lift, herr. But not yet."

Dale uttered an impatient ejaculation; but the guide filled and lit his
pipe, settling himself down quite in the snow.

"Wind may come later on," he said, "and then perhaps we can get down.
It is a pity, for this is the worst place in the whole descent. But
there: the mountains are mountains, and anything is better than an icy
wind, that numbs you so that you cannot stir."

He was scarcely visible, close as he was; but he had hardly finished
speaking when Saxe saw his head, at first faintly, then clearly--for the
cloud of mist had been still descending, and literally rolled down past
them, Saxe himself standing out clear, then Dale, and the rocks below
them one by one as far as the curve permitted them to see.

It was bright sunshine now once more, and as the rays from the west shot
by, it was between two strata of clouds, glorifying that which was below
and lighting up that above.

"Quick, herr!" said Melchior, in an authoritative tone. "We have this
bad piece to finish, if we can, before another cloud rolls down."

The descent was continued, seeming to Saxe almost interminable. Then
they were hurrying along over the snow, after passing the morning's
resting-place, and on and on till the shelf was reached with the
precipice running down so steeply, just as mist came rolling down from
above and also up from the depths below, meeting just where the party
stood roping themselves together.

But, to the surprise of Saxe, the guide took no heed--he merely went on
fastening the rope till he had done.

"You will not venture along that shelf while it is so thick, Melchior?"
said Dale.

"Oh yes, herr. We must not wait here."

"But the danger!"

"There is scarcely any, herr," replied the guide. "The great danger is
of going astray. We cannot go wrong here. We have only to go along the
shelf to the end."

"But it is like going along the edge of a precipice in the dark."

"It is like darkness, and more confusing, herr; but we have the wall on
our left to steady us, and where we are is terribly exposed. Trust me,
sir."

"Forward!" said Dale quietly. "Keep the rope fairly tight."

Melchior stepped at once on to the ledge, and the others followed, all
three going cautiously and very slowly through the opaque mist, which