o," said Dale, as Saxe and the guide closed up, "the water has
increased there terribly. We should be swept away."

"Then we're shut in!" cried Saxe.

"Yes, herr; but only for a time. The waters rise quickly and fall as
quickly in the schluchts. Let's get back to the highest part, where we
can be dry. If we could only have reached farther on!"

He said no more, for it was hard work to make the voice heard in the
midst of this terrific reverberating war of the fierce waters, but he
turned and led the way back round the corner they had so lately passed,
to where the ledge was fully four feet above the stream.

Here he calmly seated himself on the damp stone, with his legs hanging
down toward the dark rushing water, took out and filled his great pipe,
and then looked up at his companions, as if inviting them to be seated
too.

There was but little temptation to follow his example, and sit down on
the humid rock; but it offered rest, poor as it was, and Saxe and Dale
both followed the example set them, while Melchior calmly lit his pipe
and began to smoke and wait patiently for the water to go down.

But Saxe's nature was too impatient for this, and before he had been
seated there many minutes he began to strain his neck in looking up to
right and left.

Melchior leaned over to him and shouted in his ear, he having divined
the boy's thoughts from his actions.

"No, herr, no--not here. There is one place where, with a hammer and
plenty of iron spikes to drive in the cracks of the rock, we might
perhaps get to the top; but it would be impossible without. We should
want ten times as much rope too."

"Is the water going down now?" shouted back Saxe, after a pause.

Melchior looked down and shook his head.

"Will it come with a sudden rush, like a river?"

"Oh no. It may rise very quickly, but not all at once. Of course it
all comes from the lake, and the waters of the lake swell from hundreds
of streams and falls. No, herr, it will not come down with a rush."

"But it is rising very fast," said Dale, who had caught part of their
conversation. "Are we on the highest part that we can reach!"

"Yes, herr; and I am sorry I have brought you in. I try to be a perfect
guide, but there is no such thing. I ought to have been prepared for
another rise after the storm we had. Forgive me."

"You think, then, that the water will come up above where we are
sitting."

The guide nodded, and pointed to a dimly-se