Our ramblers had now reached a place where a great expanse of rock
surface was exposed, and the temptation to dilate on the action of
glaciers proved too strong for the Professor. He therefore led those
who were willing to follow to a suitable spot and pointed out the
striations, flutings, and polishings of the granite, which showed that
in former ages the glacier had passed there, although at that time it
was far below in the valley. The polishings, he said, were caused by
the ice slowly grinding over the surface of the rock, and the flutings
and groovings were caused, not by the ice itself, but by stones which
were embedded in its under surface, and which cut the solid granite as
if with chisels.
Meanwhile, Lewis and Emma, having taken the opportunity to search for
plants, had wandered on a little in advance, and had come to another
steep slope, which was, however, covered with snow at its upper part.
Below, where it became steeper, there was no snow, only pure ice, which
extended downwards to an immense distance, broken only here and there by
a few rocks that cropped through its surface. It terminated in a rocky
gorge, which was strewn thickly with _debris_ from above.
"Let us cross this," said Emma, with a look of glee, for she possessed
an adventurous spirit.
"We'd better not," answered Lewis. "The slope is very steep."
"True, O cautious cousin," retorted Emma, with a laugh, "but it is
covered here with snow that is soft and probably knee-deep. Go on it,
sir, and try."
Thus commanded, Lewis obeyed, and found that the snow was indeed
knee-deep, and that there was no possibility of their either slipping or
falling, unless one were unusually careless, and even in that case the
soft snow would have checked anything like an involuntary glissade.
"Let me go first," said Lewis.
"Nay, I will go first," returned Emma, "you will follow and pick me up
if I should fall."
So saying, she stepped lightly into the snow and advanced, while her
companion stood looking at her with a half-amused, half-anxious smile.
She had not made six steps, and Lewis was on the point of following,
when he observed that there was a crack across the snow just above where
he stood, and the whole mass began to slide. For a moment he was
transfixed with horror. The next he had sprung to his cousin's side and
seized her arm, shouting--
"Emma! Emma! come back. Quick! It moves." But poor Emma could not
obey. She would as soon have expected the mountain itself to give way
as the huge mass of snow on which she stood. At first its motion was
slow, and Lewis struggled wildly to extricate her, but in vain, for the
snow avalanche gathered speed as it advanced, and in its motion not only
sank them to their waists, but turned them helplessly round, thus
placing Lewis farthest from the firm land. He shouted now with all the
power of his lungs for help, while Emma screamed from terror.
Lawrence chanced to be nearest to them. He saw at a glance what had
occurred, and dashed down the hill-side at headlong speed. A wave was
driving in front of the couple, who were now embedded nearly to their
armpits, while streams of snow were hissing all round them, and the mass
was beginning to rush. One look sufficed to show Lawrence that rescue
from the side was impossible, but, with that swift power of perception
which is aroused in some natures by the urgent call to act, he observed
that some yards lower down--near the place where the ice-slope began--
there was a rock near to the side in the track of the avalanche, which
it divided. Leaping down to this, he sprang into the sliding flood a
little above it, and, with a powerful effort, caught the rock and drew
himself upon it. Next moment Emma was borne past out of reach of his
hand. Lawrence rushed deep into the snow and held out his alpenstock.
Emma caught it. He felt himself turned irresistibly round, and a sick
feeling of despair chilled his life-blood. At the same moment a
powerful hand grasped his collar.
"Hold on, Monsieur," cried Antoine, in a deep, yet encouraging voice,
"I've got you safe."