n't see."

"Do you, Melchior?"

"No, herr. The stone is very big."

"Yes. How did it come here?"

"Oh, it must have rolled down from the rock up yonder."

"If it had rolled down from the rock up yonder, it would have been a
piece of that rock!"

"Of course, herr. Here are plenty of pieces," and he touched them with
the handle of his ice-axe.

"Yes, you are right," said Dale, picking up a great fragment; "and you
can see this is the same kind of stone as that which towers up here over
our heads."

"Yes, herr."

"But this great block is a different kind of stone, is it not!"

Melchior looked at the vast mass, and said at once:

"Yes, herr, of course. It is the grey hard stone that they use for
building bridges."

"Well, where did it come from! There is none up here to right or left."

"No, herr--none."

"It could not have been brought here by man."

Melchior laughed.

"No; a hundred horses could not have dragged it along a hard road."

"But it has been brought here, you see, all the same. Now, where is the
nearest place where we could find stone like that!"

"Oh, on the Domberg, herr, at the head of the pass. We shall go beneath
it six hours from here."

"Exactly, Melchior," cried Dale. "That proves what I say. This huge
mass of granite must have fallen from the Domberg on to the glacier
which once filled this limestone valley, and have been gradually carried
down and left here. Such a glacier as the one which polished all these
rocks could easily have brought down that block; and when in bygone ages
the ice melted, this block was left here. I dare say we shall find more
like it."

"Oh yes, herr, there are many," said Melchior, thoughtfully examining
the stone and then picking up other pieces to compare with it. "The
herr's words seem like truth, but I should never have thought of that."

"It took, too, long thought and study of some of our greatest men to
find it out," said Dale, "and I am glad to have come to a valley which
shows all we have read so plainly."

"Stop! take care!" shouted Melchior, as a strange rushing sound was
heard high up on their right; and directly after a large stone came
bounding down the slope, fell on the smooth rocks before them, and
smashed to atoms.

Melchior stood looking up, shading his eyes.

"That is curious," he said thoughtfully. "I do not know why that stone
should have fallen."

"Loosened by the frost, man."

"No, herr. It could not ha