The Crystal Hunters: A Boy's Adventures in the Higher Alps

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

  GROWING RESIGNED.

  A month had glided by, during which Dale and Saxe had explored valleys,traced glaciers to their sources, and made plenty of mountain ascents;but though they penetrated into the wildest regions of the higher alps,and encountered storm and wind sufficient to tear them from the giddycrags to which they climbed, no more crystals rewarded their efforts, nocuriously half-hidden rift fringed with sparkling points invited them tobreak a way in.

  "Why not try the Blitzenhorn, herr?" Melchior would say: "the youngherr is getting to be a clever, sure-footed mountaineer now, and I havehopes of our being successful there."

  Dale would gaze up at the mighty peak whose icy crown stood up beforethem, beyond the mountains which surrounded Andregg's hut, and shake hishead.

  "No," he said: "the climb is too difficult for Saxe."

  "Oh no!" cried the boy; "I feel sure I could do it."

  "And I feel sure you could not," replied Dale. "Look at it. The snowslopes you could manage; but those black, forbidding, almostperpendicular crags would be too much for you, and that is the part weshould have to explore."

  "Yes," said Melchior; "certainly that is the part we should have toexplore."

  "Well, why not let me try!" cried Saxe.

  "Wait, my lad--wait."

  So their days passed on, amidst fine weather and foul; partly-passed atAndregg's chalet, partly in the mountains with their tent. They hadbeen again and again to the black ravine, and examined other grottoes,bringing away a good assortment of crystals, but, as Dale said, therewas nothing particular among them; and though they divided their timebetween trying to make fresh discoveries and tracing the old treasures,the crystals had disappeared as completely as if the legendary spiritsof the grots and mines had snatched them back, and hidden them wherethey would be safe from mortal eyes.

  But it was a glorious time, in spite of the disappointment, and Saxerevelled in the wondrous scenery, growing more sure-footed and firm ofnerve day by day when in the mountains, and happy and full of fun whenback in Andregg's valley, leaving the donkey or his companion Gros, andaccompanying heavy, surly, stupid, strong Pierre up the green alps tofetch home the goats and cows, becoming a perfect adept with a greatwooden Alpine horn, whose notes evoked wonderful echoes among themountains which shut them in.

  The natural history collection increased--butterflies, pressed plantsand minerals were stored up; the falls were used for shower-baths; troutcaught in the streams and lakes; and time was passing, when one evening,as the glorious sky foretold a bright day on the morrow, Dale, who wasseated outside Andregg's chalet with Melchior, returned that day fromfar below with a fresh load of provisions, called Saxe to bring him hisfield-glass.

  This was brought, and the lad watched him, and saw that he was scanningthe Blitzenhorn carefully.

  "He means to try it, after all," thought the boy, whose heart began tobeat heavily.

  "Fine day to-morrow, Melchior," said Dale at last, as he closed theglass.

  "Yes, herr, I think so; though one never knows what changes may come."

  "But it is pretty sure to be a good day!"

  "Yes, herr."

  "Then we'll start at three to ascend the Blitzenhorn, and I hope yourprophecies will prove right."

  "I hope so, herr. Everything shall be ready. We'll take the mule andtent?"

  "No: we'll go in light marching order, and chance it. Let's get to bedat once, and start at two."

  "Good, herr. Coffee shall be ready at half-past one."

  "One moment. What about the moon!"

  "We shall have it with us at starting, herr."

  "And which way do you propose?"

  The guide raised the ice-axe, which never seemed to leave his side, andpointed out the route he meant to take, with the difficulties likely tobe encountered among the great snowfields which clothed the giant'ssides.

  An hour later the preparations had been made, and they were allsleeping, when, just as he had apparently closed his eyes, Melchiorstood over Saxe and roused him up once more.

  "One o'clock, herr; and the coffee is nearly ready."

  It had now become such a matter of course to rise at these nocturnalhours for long expeditions, that Saxe turned out at once, with nothingmore than a growl or two and a vicious snatch at his clothes. The coldwater and the coffee, however, soon set him right, and at two punctuallythe trio were on their way along the valley, with the last quarter ofthe moon to light them as they struck up close by the end of the lowerglacier, and then went on and on at a steady rate toward the great giantwhose pyramidal peak could be faintly discerned in the distance, lookingto Saxe terribly far off, and as if it would be impossible to reach thetop that day. But their guide had cunning ways for shortening thedistance, leading them round this outer buttress, up that ravine, and inand out and along shelves, so that, by the time the sun rose, they hadwell mastered the outworks, and were ready to attack the peak itself.

  For the next two hours it was now steady climb over rock and snow. Thenthe difficulties began, but were surmounted one by one,--a greatsnowfield or two were skirted, an arete mounted, which led them to thefoot of a slope of hard ice, where they halted for a rest.

  "Must we take that, Melchior?"

  "Yes, herr: there is no other way, and with the rope it is not sodifficult."

  "But you will have to cut steps all the way!"

  "Yes, herr."

  "And the precipice?"

  "You will not mind that, herr; and I am sure he will not shrink from itnow."

  Saxe declared that he was ready, and for the next hour they werecrossing the ice, where a slip might have sent all flying down two orthree thousand feet. But it was passed at last, and the great blackcrags were now within easy reach.

  "Do you mean to go right to the top, herr?" said the guide; "because, ifso, it would be better to do it now, before the snow grows softer, anddescend to the black crags afterwards. Then, if we do not findcrystals, I can take you round by the cornice, and over or round one ofthe snowfields home."

  "What do you say, Saxe? Shall we venture?"

  "Yes, we must be able to say we have climbed the Blitzenhorn."

  "Go on, then, Melchior, and we'll do it. Is there anything very bad?"

  "No, herr, I think not. A few crevasses, perhaps, that one can getover, are the worst. Nothing more difficult than we have often done."

  They climbed on, but the difficulties increased, and there proved to bean awkward ice ledge to pass along, with a terrific gulf beneath; and agap or two, with snow bridges, which were apparently waiting a touch togo down at once. These were all safely overcome. And at last a longslope of loose snow was all that remained to toil up before they reachedthe top, where Saxe threw himself down to enjoy the wondrous prospect ofglittering ice peaks, and, a few minutes after, the food Melchiorbrought from his wallet.

  "It doesn't seem so difficult as you thought," said Saxe, with his mouthfull.

  "Don't holloa till you are out of the wood," replied Dale. "Shall we goback the same way?" he said to the guide.

  "No, herr; I shall take you back right to the black rock, where it istoo steep for the snow to lie."

  "And for us to get down?"

  "I shall skirt the edge of those steep bits, herr. You will see."

  In half an hour they were once more afoot, with the sun beginning toblaze down upon them and the snow dazzling their eyes; but the descentto the first bare rocks was steadily made, and the exploration began,with the result during the next two hours of four crevices beingdiscovered, each lined with crystals that, at the first sight, lookedlike ice, but a close investigation satisfied Dale that they were notworthy of his notice, and that the minor grotto in the black ravine wasfar superior.

  "No good, herr," said the guide sadly. "Sehr schlecht. I hoped weshould have done better."

  "Never mind. We have done the best we could, and this has been amagnificent ascent."

  "The herr is satisfie
d with that?"

  "Yes."

  "Splendid!" added Saxe.

  Then a difficult descent began, among the jagged masses of rock, whosehollows were full of snow. After some stiff work a great couloir wasreached, one which led well down in the direction the guide was nowtaking, and along this gully they managed to glide in safety, thoughtwice over great stones came bounding down from the black cragsoverhead.

  Then a ledge of ice had to be cautiously approached and passed, oneangle where there was barely foothold calling for all Saxe's fortitude;but he passed it bravely and fought very hard not to show that he hadfelt a slight attack of nerves. There had been a curious catchingsensation in his throat, and his breath had come as he glanced once downinto the blue haze in an ice gulf; but he breathed more freely as firmsnow and then solid rock was reached; and the descent continued, noallusion being made to the perilous bit, though on glancing at the guideonce he received a nod which evidently meant:

  "Bravo! well done! You could not have faced that when you first cameamong the Alps."