"I don't approve of our hunt for crystals to turn out such a failure,"
said Saxe one day, after they had had their rest and spent another
fortnight in the valley, making short excursions in various directions.
"It is disappointing," replied Dale; "but we did succeed, though we have
lost the fruit of our success."
"Well, that's the part of it that I don't like," said Saxe. "It seems
so precious hard. But you will not give up yet!"
"No: I propose staying another month, or till the weather breaks up. If
we begin to have rain and snow, we shall soon want to get down to the
lower grounds."
"That is what always puzzles me," said Saxe; "for with the mountains
rising up all round us, we seemed to be on the low grounds here--down in
this valley."
"You forget that we are between five and six thousand feet above
sea-level here."
"Between five and six thousand!" said Saxe thoughtfully. "Six thousand;
and the cross of Saint Paul's is only four hundred and four. Why, this
valley here is nearly fifteen times as high, and it does not seem high a
bit!"
"But it is my lad, all the same."
There was a few minutes' silence, and then Saxe began again:
"You win not give up the crystal hunting?" he said.
"Yes, I think I shall--at all events, for this year. You see it is such
a matter of accident. You found that partly--well, by accident."
"No," said Saxe sharply, "not by accident: I was looking for it."
"Yes; but it was by mere accident that we were in the right spot.
There--never mind the crystals. We have had a delightful trip, made an
excellent collection of Alpine plants, and you have had a good early
apprenticeship to mountaineering. Better still, we have escaped unhurt,
in spite of the one or two rather serious accidents."
"Yes," said Saxe thoughtfully, "that's true. How soon are we going up
another mountain?"
"What! have you not had enough climbing?"
"No: I should like to go up a dozen more."
"Then you will be disappointed for this season, Saxe. Melchior will
tell you that it will soon be risky to attempt the high Alps. But as
you want an expedition, what do you say to one up the great glacier
again--this time as far as we can get?"
"This glacier?"
"No, no: the one in the high valley. We might camp again in the narrow
niche."
"And go up the Black Ravine, and examine that lower grotto?"
"Well--yes, if you like. I do not feel very anxious, for the memory of
that place is too much associated with my disappointment."
"When shall we go?"
"Make your hay while the sun shines, my boy. The weather is so settled
that we cannot do better than go to-morrow."
"I was going with Melk to the Silbern See to-morrow, for trout; but I'd
rather visit the great glacier."
"Then go and tell Melchior that we will be off in the morning. I want
to make some notes about the movement of the glacier, and perhaps we may
descend one or two of the crevasses where the ice is not so thick."
Saxe started off to where Melchior was busy fitting an iron spike to a
stout ashen alpenstock.
"Now, Melk!" he cried: "off to-morrow again!"
"Where to, herr? over into Italy?"
"No: into the cold country again. Mr Dale wants to visit the great
glacier once more."
"To search for the crystals?"
"Oh no. Don't talk about them to him. It only makes him angry. But we
are going to stay up there two or three days; so take a good load of
provisions and blankets, so as to make it warmer in the tent."
Melchior looked pleased, and rose to speak to Pierre about the mule, and
ordered him to chop up some pine-wood small, to act as kindling to start
a fire when that collected might be wet. Then Andregg and his wife were
summoned, and received their orders about bread, butter, poultry and
cheese; after which Saxe had a happy thought.
"Look here, Melchior!" he said; "I like milk in my coffee."
"Yes, herr, it is pleasant. I will take a bottleful."
"Oh, but I want it every day!"
"We could not take a cow up there."
"No; but we might take a goat."
The guide laughed.
"Yes, we might take a goat," he said; "but it would be rather
troublesome."
"Oh no, I'll look after her. I've watched Pierre milk time's enough,
and I'm sure I can do it."
"Very well, herr: if you don't mind goat's milk, I'll get one that will
run beside the mule."
This fresh idea was received with a good deal of laughter by the old
peasant and his wife; but a goat was selected as suitable for the
purpose, and the preparations were completed by Pierre, of the heavy,
stolid face, bringing in the mule, and haltering it in the stable
beneath the chalet.
Saxe was the first to wake next morning at dawn and rouse Dale and the
guide, the little party starting off soon afterward, before the sun was
up, with the mule heavily laden, and the goat trotting, along by its
side contentedly enough. Once or twice it made a bound or two up the
steep rocks by the track, and Saxe was about to start in pursuit.
"There goes my breakfast milk!" he shouted; but the guide restrained
him.
"She has only gone to crop a few mouthfuls," he said; and so it proved,
for the active little animal returned to the track again farther on.
The way to the great glacier--or gros gletscher, as Melchior called it--
was now familiar, so that the various points of view had ceased to
extort ejaculations of wonderment from Saxe, who trudged on, with
geological hammer in hand, "tasting," as he called it, the different
stones they passed.
"For who knows?" he said: "I might hit upon gold or silver!"
"You would have to hit that kind of stone much harder to make it produce
gold," said Dale, laughing.