No kobold, gnome, or any other goblin of the mine disturbed the watchers
through that night. Dale roused Melchior at the end of his spell, and
somewhere about daybreak the guide roused Saxe, in obedience to his
orders, and asked him whether he felt fit to take his turn.
"Eh?--Fit?" said Saxe, sitting up: "of course. Why shouldn't I be?"
"I thought you seemed a little upset by the shock yesterday."
"Nonsense: I'm only sleepy. I'm getting used to that sort of thing.
There; lie down, and finish your rest. I'm as fresh as a daisy! I say,
though: have you seen anything in the night?"
"The stars slowly going down behind the mountains, and the peaks
beginning to glow."
"Didn't Mr Dale see anything?"
"No."
"Well, I'm disappointed. I hoped one of you would catch the gentleman
who comes after us. I'm sure there is something."
"So am I, herr. The fire is burning. Keep it up, and call me when it
is breakfast time."
He lay down directly, and Saxe ran to the spring for a good sluice, to
come back glowing and scrubbing his scarlet face with a towel.
"I say, Melk!"
There was no answer.
"Melky!"
Still silent.
Saxe bent over the Swiss, and then turned away.
"Well, he can sleep," he muttered: "seems only to have to shut his eyes,
and he is off."
It did not occur to him that he was as great an adept at sleeping as the
guide, and he turned away, half ill-humouredly, to finish his rough
toilet, and then he busied himself in making preparations for breakfast,
which entailed a severe fight with self, for a sensation of hunger soon
developed itself. But he won by a vigorous effort, and, after all was
ready, forced himself away from the fire and the kettle, walking right
out of the niche, to stand watching the glorious changes on the mountain
peaks, and the lines of light slowly creeping, downward and driving out
the shadows where it was still night while high up amongst the
glittering ice fields it was glorious day.
"Oh, how different it all looks in the sunshine!" thought Saxe. "Which
did he say was the Blitzenhorn? I forget."
Then he began to think about the day's work before them--the tramp up
beside the glacier, the climb along the black ravine, right in among the
mountains, and the exploration of the caves.
"Well, we shall have found some crystals to take back," he thought.
"Wish it was breakfast time, though. What am I to do to amuse myself
till Mr Dale wakes?"
At that moment a peculiar whinnying noise fell upon his ears, and he
started off down the mountain side in the direction from which the sound
had come.
"Better company than none," he said, laughing. "Here: where are you,
old chap?"
There was of course no answer, and he was some little time before he
could make out the mule, whose colour assimilated wonderfully with the
browny-grey rocks. But at last he saw it, end on, standing gazing up a
narrow valley, and climbed down to find that it was in the midst of a
fair spread of short whortleberry growth, whose shoots had evidently
been his fare.
As Saxe drew nearer he could see that, in spite of the animal's warmth,
the longer hairs about the mule were covered with hoar-frost, and at
every breath a couple of jets of white vapour were sent forth from the
mule's nostrils.
The mule took no heed of his approach, but gave vent to another long,
loud, complaining whinny, and kept its head stretched out and its ears
pointed in the direction of the top of the valley high above them.
"Hullo, Gros!" cried Saxe, as he approached; and the mule turned a
little more away as the boy approached.
"Do you hear?" cried Saxe, stepping aside so as to get up to the mule's
head; but that head was averted a little in the other direction, and the
animal's hind quarters were presented.
"Now, stupid--I mean Dumkoff--I was going to pat your head. I can't
shake hands with your tail!"
He darted sharply a few paces to the other side, but the mule carefully
turned, to balance the movement, and still presented his tail.
"Ah, you obstinate old ruffian!" cried Saxe: "how can you expect people
to be friendly with you! Well, I'm not going to be beaten by an old
mule, anyhow!"
It was a rash declaration, for as Saxe made a rush right by the animal
it spun round, and the positions were once more the same.
This evolution was repeated again and again, till Saxe stopped short,
panting.
"Here!" he exclaimed. "I thought it was cold this morning, and I'm
getting hot. For two pins I'd throw a chump of rock at you, you
obstinate old four-legged hit of ill-temper."
He stooped and picked up a stone as big as his fists, and suddenly
became aware of the fact that, though the mule's head was turned away
from him, the cunning animal turned its eyes back and was watching him
carefully. For as he raised the stone Gros shook his head so that his
long ears rattled, squealed, and a peculiar quivering motion, like the
beginning of a dance, was visible in his hind quarters.
"Ah! would you kick!" cried Saxe. "You ruffian, you'd better not.
There are plenty of stones, and I'll give you one for every hoist of
those nice little heels."
He made an "offer," as boys call it, with the stone, and there was a
loud squeal. Gros's head went down between his fore legs till he had
nearly touched the ground, and he was turning himself into a tripod so
as to set his hind legs at liberty.
Certainly they seemed at liberty, for he threw them out so vigorously
that, as Saxe gazed at the hoofs playing about in the air, they seemed
to be sparring and fencing at him, while the tail between whipped and
whisked about, and ended by tucking itself in tightly, till Saxe sat
down on a rock roaring with laughter, when the mule suddenly ceased its
efforts, stood still, and turned its head round to watch him.
"Now it's coming!" cried Saxe, leaping up and raising the stone again.
The mule squealed defiance, and out flew its heels once more, and this
was repeated till, half choked with laughing, Saxe threw down the stone.
"There!" he said: "I wouldn't throw at you. Poor old chap, then!"
He approached the animal now on the side to which its head was thrust to
watch him, and, to his great surprise, Gros did not stir, but moved his
head a little, and let him approach, pat his neck, and pull his ears.
"Only your fun, was it, old chap--eh! There! It was only my fun too.
It's all right. Go on, old fellow. But, I say, how long have we been
carrying on this game? Suppose my fire's out!"
He gave the mule a final pat, and then hurried back to the tent, where
the fire was burning steadily, but wanted replenishing. This done, he
looked at the sleepers, who were both like the Irishman in the old
story, paying attention to it; then Saxe told himself that he would
continue his watch.
This idea seemed so droll that he could not refrain from smiling.
"Rather a queer way of keeping watch," he said, "going off like that.
Never mind: there's nothing much to steal, and no one to steal it. But
I suppose I ought to stop; only the worst of it is, if I stop here I
begin feeling hungry."
The temptation came over him to examine the stores which Melchior had
brought on the previous day, but he resisted it; and by dint of walking
about using Dale's glass to examine the different peaks and snowfields
in the distance, the time passed till Dale woke with a start and sprang
up.
"Ah, Saxe, my lad, have I overslept myself?--No? Well, it's time I was
up. All right? That's well. Now, this ought to be an important day
for us," he continued, as he rapidly prepared himself for the journey.
"We must creep into that grotto somehow, and with plenty of light. I
expect we shall find it quite a treasure-house. But," he said at last,
"I think you may wake up Melchior now."
"I am awake, herr," said the guide, rising. "It is just the time I had
settled to sleep."
In a few minutes they were ready for breakfast, and as they began
Melchior drew from the pannier a portion of the provision he had
brought, smiling as he placed it upon the slab of rock which served them
as a table.
"What are you laughing at?" said Saxe.
"Oh, only about being a boy like you once, herr, and thinking that when
I was your age I too could eat one breakfast and feel ready for another
in an hour."
"I felt ready for one an hour ago, but I didn't have one," said Saxe.
"No, it was two hours ago."
"But the herr did have a breakfast one or two hours ago."
"I?" said Saxe sharply. "No, I didn't have anything."
The guide looked at him wonderingly, then at the provisions he was
setting down, and ended by shrugging his shoulders.
"I beg the young herr's pardon. I thought he did," said Melchior
quietly; and for the time the incident was forgotten.
Half an hour later Gros was brought up, provisions packed, the
geological hammer and a cold chisel put inside with the food, and they
started after leaving wood and water ready for a fire when they
returned.
The ravine was duly reached, Gros having proved himself an admirable
climber on the ice, and he made no objection to ascending the black
ravine for some distance; but at last it grew too bad for him, and he
was tethered to a block of stone and left to meditate and lick the
moisture which trickled down, for there was no pasture--not so much as a
patch of moss.
Then the climb went on, Dale asking the guide if he thought the mule
could get back with a load of crystals in the pannier.
"That depends on the weight, herr. If it is too much for him, we must
help, or we must all go twice."
In due time they reached the rock beyond which was the way down to the
lower grotto; but though it would have been tempting to have explored
this with lights, it was decided to leave it for the present, and to go
on and break into the cave discovered by Saxe.
"Well," said Dale, as they stood beneath it and gazed upon the black
crevice, "do you think you can get at it so as to use a hammer and the
chisel?"
"Oh yes, herr," said Melchior quietly; and thrusting the hammer handle
and the chisel through his belt, he went up and along the ledge with
wonderful agility, sprang across on to the projecting block, and then
Saxe watched him eagerly as he saw him drive in the point of the
geological hammer as high up as he could reach, and use it to hold by
while he climbed higher and got his feet on the lower edge of the
opening, where he stood with his hand inside to steady himself while he
wriggled out the hammer. Then, holding this in his breast, they saw him
take a steel spike from his pocket, and after a little examination
thrust the point in a crevice which looked like an upward continuation
of the opening into the grotto. This done, a sharp stroke or two from
the hammer enabled him to fix the spike sufficiently firmly to enable
him to hold on by it with his left hand while he drove it in firmly with
the hammer before passing the double rope over it, and making a sling in
which he could sit opposite the opening and work.
"There, Saxe, neither you nor I could have done that," said Dale, as the
guide settled himself in the loop swinging before the mouth of the
grotto.
"It makes my hands feel wet," whispered Saxe. "Look!"
For Melchior was already hard at work with hammer and chisel, cutting
off great angles that obstructed the way in and sending the fragments
showering down.
They watched him intently, seeing that he used the hammer as he used his
ice-axe, so as not to deliver an unnecessary blow.
"Think you will make a way in?" cried Dale, as the guide paused for a
few moments to wipe his brow.
"Oh yes, herr; I should have done by now, only my blows fall weakly
sitting swinging here."
"Is the spike safe? Take care."
"I shall not fall, herr," he replied. "If the spike gave way I should
have time to save myself."
He began hammering again, this time without the chisel, and using the
hammer with so much effect that they could hear the pieces of rock he
chipped off rattling down inside, till at the end of about half an hour
he ceased striking, and began raking out the bits he had broken off.
"I can get through here now, herr," he said. "I'll come down, and you
shall go first."
"No: that is your right, Saxe, as the discoverer; only be careful not to
penetrate far. There may be danger."
As they were speaking Melchior stood once more upon the edge of the
entrance, sending a shovelful or two of the broken stone clattering down
as he untied the knots in the loop, and, taking one end of the rope,
threw it over the spike, made a slip-knot, drew it tight, and then
glided down to where Dale and Saxe were standing.
"There, herr," he said; "you can hold the rope, creep along the ledge,
swing yourself across, and mount easily now."
"Shall I go first?" said the boy, looking at Dale.
"Yes, of course; but we shall be close behind you."
Saxe seized the rope, and, profiting by old experience, went up, swung
himself over on to the projection, and then easily climbed in at the
opening; saw that there was ample room for him to pass, and then he
crept forward cautiously on hands and knees, finding that the floor
sloped downward rapidly toward where all was black darkness.
He stopped short, not caring to go farther, and waited till the
agitation of the rope, which he had let go, told him that Dale was
nearly up. The next minute the figure of the latter darkened the
opening, and he too crept in.
"Well, Saxe: what has Aladdin's cave to show us?"
"Darkness," replied the boy.
"Ah, well; we shall soon dissipitate that," said Dale, as he loosed his
hold of the rope and began to prepare the lanthorn he had brought up.
"Seen any gnomes?"
"Can't see anything," replied Saxe shortly; for it seemed to him that
Dale was smiling at him.
"No kobolds or goblins? Well, let's strike a match and light up: then
perhaps we may. That's one good thing about these hollows,--there is no
explosive gas, like there is in a coal mine. There, take this and hold
it out before you," he continued, as he closed and passed the lanthorn.
"Lift it up! Now what can you see?"
"Something glittering--yes, crystals!--beauties!--what a size!"
"Hah! Yes. These are worth all the trouble we have taken!" cried Dale,
as he dimly saw pendant from the roof, projecting from the rock at all
angles, and even lying upon the floor of the grotto, dozens upon dozens
of magnificent crystals, which seemed to be clear as glass, of a dull
brown, like smoky quartz, and some even of a hue that was almost a
purply-black.
At that moment Melchior's head appeared.
"Is there room for me to come in, herr?" he said; and before an answer
could be given, "Ah! those are large."
"Large, my good fellow! they are the finest I have ever seen. Come in.
Well, Saxe, how far does the grotto go in? Can you stand up? Mind your
head!"
"Just stand up here," he replied; "but it is higher farther in."
"Let me go on first, herr," said Melchior: "it may be dangerous. There
is no telling where these cracks in the rocks extend."
He took the lanthorn and crept forward cautiously, while Dale and Saxe
watched the play of the light on the wonderful prisms and hexagons which
hung in all directions. But there was no penetrating above thirty feet;
for the grotto, after rising six or seven feet in height, dropped down
again, and closed together till there was a mere slit.
"There may be more of it beyond here, sir," said the guide, "if we could
break through."
"There is more than enough here, Melchior," cried Dale. "I am satisfied
if we can get these away."
"Yes, herr," said the guide, holding up the lanthorn, and making its
light play in all directions, its rays flashing off the various facets
in a way that displayed in some the beauty of their forms, and in others
the limpid transparency of the stone,--"yes, herr: there are many mules'
burdens here. What will you do first?"
"Try to get off that one," cried Saxe, pointing. "It is the best here."
"They all seem best, Saxe," said Dale. "Yes, we will have that one, if
it can be broken off without injury."
"There is a fine one here, herr," said the guide. "It must have fallen
from the roof."
As he spoke he turned over a huge piece, after setting down the
lanthorn, the light from which shot beneath it, and showed a rich
purply-black stain, as the guide set the great hexagon up on end.
"Why, that is the finest I have seen," said Dale, growing quite excited
over his discovery. "This and two or three more will be a load for the
mule."
"Yes, herr, as many as we can get over the rocks with; but we can make
many journeys backwards and forwards now we have found the place. But
the herr will not take all away without sending word to Lucerne or
Geneva?"
"You may trust me," said Dale. "I shall behave quite honourably to the
Government, who will, I have no doubt, consent to my keeping some of
them. Now, then: we shall have a long, slow journey back, with such a
load. Try and strike off that small white piece."
The "small white piece" proved to be ten inches long and very heavy,
when it had been dexterously struck off, without damaging any of its
clearly-cut angles.
Two more very beautifully clear pieces were then selected, and then Dale
looked questioningly at Melchior.
"If the mule carries the two largest pieces, herr," he said, smiling,
"and we take one each, I think it will be all we can do. When we get
lower down, on to the better way, the mule can carry all."
"Yes, we must not be too grasping," said Dale, with a sigh. "I wish,
Saxe, I had all these over in England safe."
"I should like to have the whole grotto over there safe," replied Saxe.
"Better say the mountain while you are about it," cried Dale, with a
laugh. "There, Melchior, try if you can get down that heavy piece."
"Yes, herr, easily done," said the guide; and, drawing up the rope, he
made it fast to the largest crystal and carefully lowered it down.
"You must go down now and unfasten," said Dale. "I can lower the rest.
But what about the rope when we have done?"
For answer Melchior climbed up and loosened the rope, leaving only a
loop over the spike. Then sliding down, he soon set the crystal free,
and the others were lowered down. Dale and Saxe followed, and the rope
was jerked off the spike and coiled up.
"The only way of locking up the door," said Saxe, laughing. "But, I
say, these will be very heavy to carry back. What's the matter?" he
continued, as he saw Dale looking at the fragments of broken rock sent
down by Melchior.
"I was thinking that those pieces will tell tales," he said. "If any
one comes up here, they will see we have been at work."
"Yes, herr, if any one comes by; but nobody is likely to come here."
"I suppose not," said Dale thoughtfully, after a look round.
"The herr forgets that we are now in the wildest part of this the most
desolate of our cantons."
"Yes, I had forgotten," said Dale lightly. "No one is likely to come,
unless it be one of your kobolds, Melchior."
"They will not come, herr, or they would have been here to protect their
treasures," replied the guide, laughing, as he stooped and lifted the
big crystal on to his shoulder; then took it off, and asked Saxe to
place the coil of rope under it. "The stone is heavy," he said
cheerfully. "Yes, that's it: now it will ride easily. I think, herr,
if you take my ice-axe and give me another under this arm to balance it,
I can get on well."
"But you are too heavily laden now, Melchior."
"Oh no, herr: I am a strong man. Give me the other."
It was handed to him.
"Now, can you carry the other three?"
"Oh yes--easily," cried Saxe, who took one of the largest. "'Tis heavy,
though," he added to himself, as he felt the weight of the solid stone.
"Then these two are my load," said Dale, placing one under each arm as
soon as he had thrust the ice-axe handles through his belt. "Ready?"
"Yes."
"Then off!"
They started, and but for the knowledge of the value of the load Saxe
would gladly have freed himself of the burden by letting it fall on the
stones. But these were the crystals of which Dale was in search, and as
he saw that his companion was patiently plodding on and making his way
over the sharp, rough masses of stone with which the ravine was floored,
he bent to his task patiently, though it seemed as though they would
never reach the spot where the mule was tethered.
There he was though, at last, ready to whinny in welcome of their
coming; but this glad greeting closed when Melchior's load was carefully
balanced across his back, and the journey downward was very slowly and
solemnly performed.
With the heaviest crystals safe on the mule's back, a redistribution
took place, Melchior relieving Dale of his heaviest piece, and Dale
exchanging his lighter one for Saxe's; and in this order the side of the
glacier was descended, and they reached the camp hot, tired and hungry.
"Why, Saxe, we shall not want many loads like this," said Dale.
"No, herr," said Melchior, as the boy stood shaking his head. "You
cannot take many away, unless we have a train of mules. Where will you
have these placed?"
"Oh, just inside the tent for to-night. In the morning we must contrive
some hiding-place for them, to which we can bring the rest; and when I
have all I want we must bring mules here and remove them."
A good long look was taken at the various magnificent specimens before
they were laid together. Then Melchior busied himself helping to
prepare the meal; and very shortly after this was ended, watching being
deemed unnecessary, the whole party were sleeping soundly, not one of
them, after the heavy toil of the day, being startled by the loud
squealing whinny given by the mule toward the middle of the night.
Saxe's sleep was almost dreamless till toward morning, when he became a
little restless consequent upon imagining that he was engaged in a
desperate encounter with a small round goblin, who was about the size of
a baby, but seemed to have the strength of an elephant. He walked in at
the tent door, and informed Saxe that he had come to fetch the crystals
stolen from his storehouse that day; and upon Saxe refusing to give them
up, a desperate encounter took place--a fight which had no beginning and
no end, finishing off, as it were, in a mist, out of which he started to
hear the sound of wood crackling, and to find that it was day.