of that?" he said, looking back at
Pierre, who stood rooted there with quite a different expression upon
his countenance. The heavy, vacant look had given way to one of utter
astonishment, wonder flashed from his eyes, and as Saxe grasped the
reason he swung himself round in dudgeon.

"Oh, you ignorant donkey!" he muttered: "it was as good a jodel as old
Melk's. I said you were an idiot, and this proves it: never heard an
Englishman jodel before?"

Five minutes after he was enjoying the steaming hot coffee and delicious
milk, butter, eggs and bread, discussing--often with his mouth too
fall--the plans of the coming day's work.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

SAXE HAS SUSPICIONS.

"Do we go the same way?" said Saxe, as they started up the track out of
the valley, Gros far more heavily laden this time--having, beside food
enough for some days, a handy tent just large enough to shelter three;
waterproof sheet, rugs, ice-axes, and a coil of new English rope which
made the guide's eyes glisten.

"No, herr," Melchior answered--"only for a short distance. Then we
shall strike up to the east and go over the Carvas Pass into the Urs
Thal."

"Urseren?" said Dale quickly.

"Oh no, herr! not a bleak green hollow like that, but a wild ravine in
the heart of the mountain. It lies next but one to the valley beyond
the peak you climbed."

"Ah! that sounds better. Is it much visited?"

"Never, herr, except by the chamois hunters, and very seldom by them."

"And you think we shall find what I want there?"

"I cannot say, herr. Such crystals as you seek are not often
discovered. They are very rare. But we shall see. Steady, Gros,
steady! Don't hurry, boy. Slow and sure: these stones are slippery."

"Slippery! Yes," cried Dale, stepping forward quickly, and then giving
a glance up to right and left at the walls of rock rising on either
side. "Look at this, Saxe: we must not pass things like these without
notice. Wait a minute, Melchior."

"Yes, herr; but there are bigger and smoother pieces farther up the
valley."

"Do they extend far?"

"Right up to the top of the pass, herr, and down the other side."

Saxe looked over at the huge mass of smoothly polished stone across
which the mule had been picking its way, taking longer steps to get its
hoofs on the narrow cracks and places where veins of a softer kind of
rock had in the course of ages corroded away.

"Why, I thought you said that very few people came alon