s glass,
one slip and there is nothing between us and the bottom of the lake."

"You must take care, that is all. You will have to lie down on your
back and slip down sidewise. Now and then you will find a bush of
Alpine roses that you can cling to; but there is no danger of slipping
if you are barefoot,--follow my example."

A blood-curdling pleasure awaited them. The men took off their shoes
and clung firmly with hands and feet to the smooth wall of stone. They
had gone barely half way when there was a mysterious sound from the
opposite mountains; it seemed as if the rocks beneath them trembled.

"Stay where you are," shouted Sanga-moarta to the others. "There is a
snow-slide."

And the next moment could be seen the white ball set in motion in the
remote mountains, rolling down the steep heights, tearing along with
it rocks and uprooted trees, growing every instant more terrible; and
as it made great bounds to the valley it shook the mountain to its
very foundations.

"Oh my God!" cried Clement, trying to reach the guide with one hand
while he clung to the rock with the other. "It will come and kill us
all."

"Stay where you are," Sanga-moarta called out to them, when he saw
that they were trying to climb up and would so expose themselves to
the danger of slipping back. "This slide is going toward that rock and
there it will be either broken or held fast."

It was true that the snow-slide, now grown to mammoth size, was
rolling toward a jutting cliff that seemed dwarf-like in comparison.
The roll of the avalanche had grown so loud that every other sound was
lost in its thundering roar. Now the snow plunged against the rock in
its path, struck its peak with a fearful bound and gave the whole
mountain such a shock that it quivered to its foundations. For a
moment the entire vicinity was covered with a cloud of snow flying
with the velocity of steam. After the last clap, the thunder ceased.
Then followed a frightful cracking. The avalanche had torn the
opposing rock from its base and the two plunged down into the lake
below them. This, lashed to foam, engulfed the mass and its waves,
mounting fearfully, rose to the height of fifty fathoms, where the
bold climbers were clinging to the face of the rock. Then the waves
settled back, for a few moments took the form of a towering green
column which finally subsided, and after some time quiet again ruled
over the waters.

Clement lay there more dead than alive, whil