"Nor I," said Father Mark.
Father Benjamin said, "If I had a better idea, I would surely make it
known. Let us dig, and let us have faith as we do so."
The boy seized a shovel and began to dig, along with Anton and the two
priests. He shook his head in disbelief for, even though he used all
his strength, his shovel took only a tiny bite of the hard-packed snow.
Despite the cold wind that snapped up the gulley like an angry wolf,
beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead....
Franz thought that an hour might have passed when, while the other three
continued to dig, he had to stop and rest. For the first time, it
occurred to him to look about for Caesar.
The big dog was at the north end of the avalanche, peering over the
perpendicular wall. He trotted anxiously back and forth, then leaned
over to rest his front paws on a ledge. Suddenly Franz remembered when
Caesar had found Emil Gottschalk buried in the snow.
Anton Martek and the two priests remained too busy to notice the boy's
departure when he made his way to Caesar's side. The great mastiff
wagged his tail furiously and stared down the wall of snow.
"Is he there?" Franz whispered. "Is he there, Caesar?"
The dog took three paces forward and three back. He whined, leaned over
again to rest his front paws on the ledge, then withdrew to his master's
side. Franz studied the awful wall that suddenly seemed a thousand feet
high, and where a mistake in judgment or a misstep meant possible death
and certain injury.
[Illustration: _Suddenly Franz remembered when Caesar had found Emil
Gottschalk buried in the snow_]
But Caesar would not stop staring down it, and only three feet below was
the ledge where he had rested his paws. Franz stepped down, widened the
ledge with his shovel and reached behind him to help the dog down. He
sought the next ledge that he might dig out with his shovel.
They were halfway down the wall when the boy heard a thunderous, "Franz!
Franz! Come back!"
He recognized Father Benjamin's voice but he dared not look back, for
even a fairy could not have found more standing room on the thin ledge
where the boy and his dog stood. Franz reached down with his shovel to
scoop out the next ledge.
After what seemed an eternity, they were at the bottom of the wall.
Caesar ran forward and began to dig in the snow. Scraping beside him,
presently Franz found the limp arm of a man.
Cold as the arm was, he could still feel the pulse that beat within it.