ace it would
be to fall down, though!" said Saxe, as he began to tramp on over the
snow by Dale's side. "I couldn't help thinking so as I flew over it."

"And very stupid of you too! There's no danger in leaping over a dry
ditch four feet wide, so why should you make a fuss about the same
distance because it is deep?"

Boom!

"Hallo!" said Dale. "That sounded like snow somewhere up in the
mountains; and by the way, we're on snow now: Melchior ought to rope us.
How do we know there are not crevasses close at hand?" He turned to
speak to the guide, and found Saxe standing there staring back.
"Hallo!" he cried, "where's Melchior?"

"I don't know," faltered Saxe.

"Didn't you see him jump over the crack?"

"No. Didn't you?"

"It was such a trifle, I did not think of it. Good heavens! he has not
met with an accident? Ah, that noise!"

They turned back together for about a hundred yards over the smooth
snow, following their own steps clearly marked in the white surface; and
then stopped short aghast, for the deeply indented place in the snow
where they had landed in their jump was gone, and in its stead they saw
a great triangular-shaped opening widening the crevasse to more than
double its original dimensions, while just at its edge close to their
feet there was a peculiar mark, such as would have been made by an
ice-axe suddenly struck down through the snow to plough its way till it
disappeared over the edge.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

A FEARFUL WATCH.

It was all plain enough now. The weight of the two who had first leaped
must have cracked a portion of the edge of the crevasse--a part rotten
from long exposure to the sun, rain and frost. Then Melchior must have
sprung over, the great triangular piece had given way, he had made a
desperate attempt to save himself with his axe, but that had not struck
home, and he had gone down with the mass of ice and snow, the echoing
crash and boom having drowned any cry he might have uttered, even if he
had time to call for help.

Saxe gave one horrified look at his companion, and then, stepping aside
to the unbroken part of the crevasse, he went down on his hands and
knees in the snow, then upon his breast, and drew himself close to the
edge till his head and chest were over and he could peer down.

"Take care! take care!" cried Dale hoarsely, though he was doing
precisely the same. "Can you see anything?"

Saxe's negative sounded like a groan, for he could see