l will never get through, Melchior?"

"Oh yes, herr. Certainly he has no hands, but his feet are as true, or
truer, than a man's. You will see he will get through. And I shall
carry the basket; it is light now. You see I can shift it as I like,--
he cannot."

"Well, you know best," said Dale. "How do you feel for the journey,
Saxe?"

"Don't like it," said the lad bluntly, "but I'm ready. It isn't so bad
as what we did up the mountain."

"No: you are getting your head, my boy, fast. Ready, Melchior?"

"Yes, unless the herr likes to sit down and rest for half an hour
first."

"By no means," cried Dale. "We should be thinking of the ugly bit of
work we have to do--eh, Saxe?"

"Yes, let's go on at once, please. I don't like waiting."

"How shall you go--leading the mule or driving it?" asked Dale.

"Neither, herr. I shall tell him to go on, and he will lead us."

The guide shouldered the basket, which was somewhat lightened by Dale
and Saxe each taking out some of their belongings and slinging them on
by straps. Then Melchior led the mule down to the ledge at the opening,
said a few encouraging words, and waited.

The mule hesitated. The water was right over the track here, and the
animal bent down, sniffed and pawed at it as if uneasy; but a few more
words from Melchior made it go on a few steps very slowly, and
continually trying its way, so as to get a good foothold before going
on, and acting in a wonderfully human way by pressing itself very close
to the rock.

"I hardly think we ought to venture, Melchior," said Dale.

"Oh yes, herr. We know the extent of the danger. Gros swims like a
dog, and you know he was none the worse for the last fall."

"Go on, then."

The mule was already going on. Finding the water more shallow on the
ledge, it progressed with a little confidence, for the ledge eloped
upward, and it could see the damp stone clear of the water a short
distance on.

"There, herr, you see," said the guide, after they had waded with the
water just over their boots to the clear stone ledge along which the
mule went on steadily now, "there is nothing to mind here."

"I am glad you think so," said Dale, shouting loudly, to make his voice
heard beyond Saxe, who was between, and they were getting now within
reach of the reverberating roar of the torrent.

Saxe glanced down as they passed the angles and gradually entered the
semi-darkness, and saw that the surface of the water was