The Crystal Hunters Part 75

"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 a.s.sociated 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 creva.s.ses 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, b.u.t.ter, 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 e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns of wonderment from Saxe, who trudged on, with geological hammer in hand, "tasting," as he called it, the different stones they pa.s.sed.

"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.

Saxe went on in silence for a time, and then broke out with--

"Never mind: I did find the crystals, and perhaps I shall hit upon another grotto yet."

"Pray do," said Dale merrily. "But at any rate we will have a few of the best from the lower grotto in the Black Ravine."

"Yes; and I would have a good search down there," said Saxe: "we may find a fresh place."

"Well, we shall see, my lad; we shall see."

The journey to the niche was made leisurely enough, with no further excitement than a false alarm or two raised by Saxe, who felt sure that they were being followed; but, as he was only laughed at for his pains, he turned sulky, and went on without looking back. He played with the goat, which took to him in the most affectionate way, snowing its appreciation by b.u.t.ting at him when he did not expect the kindly attention; and he became the best of friends with Gros, who climbed on, uttering low sighs of satisfaction as soon as Saxe had hit upon the idea of scratching here and there with the point of the geological hammer, and whinnying impatiently for a continuance of the t.i.tillation as soon as the boy ceased.

Then the niche was reached, looking quite familiar with the traces of their old fireplace; the tent was set up and secured with blocks of granite instead of tethering pegs, and Saxe gave a grunt of pleasure as he saw the preparations for the evening meal.

"How about the goat, Melk?" he said: "will she want tethering?"

"Oh no, herr: she will not leave us and Gros. Those animals are too fond of company to go far. They get tiresome now and then from being too familiar."

The night pa.s.sed quietly enough. It was cold; and, at the height they had reached, the stars shone out frostily; but the sleep was deliriously refreshing, and Saxe rose the next morning ready for a journey to the Black Ravine. The mule was taken to carry back any specimens that they might decide to bring away, and the goat insisted upon following, having apparently no intention of being left alone, and setting Gros an excellent example in climbing.

In the Black Ravine the two grottoes were well searched, and the lower one found to be fairly extensive; but no specimens were found worthy of notice, and they returned to camp.

The next day was spent in another expedition higher up the glacier valley, which was followed till the snow became so deep as to be laborious to pa.s.s over, and, after exploring two similar ravines to the last, they returned once more to camp, where Melchior drew Saxe aside to ask him if he noticed anything.