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

by George Manville Fenn

  CHAPTER THIRTY.

  WITHIN A HAIR'S BREADTH.

  A long and tiresome climb over and amongst the shattered blocks whichfilled the lower part of the chasm; but with the help of previousknowledge they got along pretty quickly, till they reached the rocksbeneath the narrow opening--a place which looked so insignificant thatthe wonder was that it had not escaped Saxe's eyes.

  "Now," said Dale, gazing up, "what we have to do is to puzzle out someeasy way of getting up and down. What do you say, Saxe?"

  "I think we ought to have a strong iron bolt or bar driven into a crackjust above the cave; then tie a rope to it, and it will be easy enoughto go up and down."

  "First catch your hare," cried Dale merrily. "How is the bar or bolt tobe driven in, my lad?"

  "Oh, something after the fashion of our getting up there yesterday."

  "Oh yes; something after the fashion of yesterday's attempt. Do youknow, Saxe, I think we both had enough of that job yesterday; and butfor the discovery of the crystals we should have been sadly out ofheart."

  "Let's leave it till Melchior comes back," said Saxe, as a way out ofthe difficulty.

  Dale nodded, and after another long look at the crack in the solid rockand its surroundings, they turned their attention to a farther climb upthe ravine to try whether it would be possible to get out there and maketheir way across.

  Another long and tedious climb ensued, during which, without declaringthe way to be impassable, they both averred that it was so extremelydifficult that they thought it would be of no utility, and after somefour hours' hard work assisting each other up by means of ice-axe andrope, they were glad to begin the descent.

  But the toil was not altogether barren, for two niches were found wherethere seemed to be every likelihood of crystals existing within thecaves, whose mouths they seemed to be, and after a certain time devotedto refreshing they turned to go back.

  "I doubt very much whether any one could get along this way, Saxe," saidDale, as he held the rope for his young companion to slide down,afterwards doubling it for his own use, so as to have a great loop rounda block to enable him to loosen one end and draw upon the other.

  "I hope they'd enjoy the hard work if they could," said Saxebreathlessly. "Oh, what a lot of bits of skin one does knock off uphere!"

  "Good for the sticking-plaster makers, Saxe," said Dale. "Come along,my lad: the sun beats down very hot here."

  "But what are we going to do to-day?" asked Saxe.

  "Nothing. This has only been a reconnoitring trip. To-morrow we shallhave Melchior back, and we can get to work in earnest."

  "But are we going to do nothing else but get crystals? Aren't we goingto climb any more mountains?"

  "Oh yes: we must do another or two, and perhaps combine pleasure withprofit. Let's see: we must be getting near the cave."

  "Round that next corner," said Saxe decisively.

  "How do you know?"

  "Because I can see the piece of black overhanging rock which I feltcompelled to stare at all the time I was stuck fast on that shelf. But,I say, Mr Dale, do you feel pretty sure that Melchior will be back atthe tent when we get there?"

  "I cannot be certain; but--no--yes--I can be certain," said Dalequickly. "I am sure he will not be waiting for us at the tent."

  His manner puzzled the lad, who looked at him curiously.

  "Well?"

  "What made you change so suddenly, sir? One minute you thought one way,the next minute you thought differently."

  "Because I had good reasons," replied Dale. "Look!"

  Saxe looked here and there, and in every direction but the one indicatedby Dale's nod.

  "I don't see anything, sir."

  "Try again, boy. There, on that stone, with his back to us."

  "A chamois!" cried Saxe eagerly.

  "Chamois don't smoke pipes, my lad," said Dale laughingly.

  "I see now," cried Saxe, and he burst out into his imitation of a Swissjodel, which was answered back as Dale thrust his fingers into his ears.

  The boy looked at him as he ceased his cry, and a curious smile puckeredup his face.

  "Don't you like Melchior's jodel, sir?" he said drily.

  Dale understood him, and responded with a laugh; but no more was said,for Melchior sprang down from the rock which he had made his observatoryas lightly as a goat, and came to meet them.

  "Back again, then," said Dale.

  "Yes, herr; and I found your note with the stick through it by the tentdoor."

  "You mean with the stone lying upon it?"

  "No, herr: a piece of sharpened pine-wood, driven through it to hold itdown."

  "Ah, well, you found it," said Dale, with an uneasy glance at Saxe,whose forehead had grown wrinkled.

  "Yes, herr, I found it, and followed you till I saw your mark on theice, and came up here."

  "You felt, then, that we came up this ravine!"

  "Oh yes, herr; and I was not surprised. It is one of the places Ithought likely for crystals, and I see you have found some."

  "Pound some? How do you know?" cried Saxe.

  "Because I see you have been to one cave and left some of your treasurebehind. I found this just inside the way leading to it."

  "Then you climbed up?" said Saxe, taking a little crystal of the size ofhis finger from the guide's hand.

  "No, herr; I climbed down," replied Melchior.

  "From where? Did you come over the top?"

  "No, herr; from the mouth, by the glacier, I came right along thebottom, and turned down into the chasm below."

  "What chasm below?" said Dale eagerly.

  "Is it possible the herr does not know?"

  "We have seen no chasm but this one."

  "Then you have not found a cave for crystals?"

  "Oh yes!" said Saxe: "there it is;" and he pointed up at the face of thenarrow valley to where the dark opening looked like a black mark on therock.

  "I see," said Melchior, looking up. "Yes, that looks a likely placetoo. I had not seen that."

  "It has quite large crystals in it," said Dale.

  "Then the herr has been up to see?"

  "Yes, Saxe found it; but it is very difficult to get to. How are we toclimb up and fasten a rope!"

  "It is quite easy," said the guide; and, going back, he made for theledge, along which he made his way coolly enough till he came to thegap, across which he leaped, thrust his hand into the orifice, and then,to Saxe's horror, leaped back again with wonderful activity, came downand joined them.

  "These things have been so little asked for that they have not half beenhunted out. I could have got hundredweights if I had known that theywere of value to make it worth while."

  "But that is a good cavern up there," cried Saxe, who now breathed morefreely, as he saw the guide safely down without breaking his neck.

  "Oh yes, herr, I dare say; but the one I have found is, I think,better."

  "Show us it," said Dale. And after going back about a hundred yards,Melchior suddenly disappeared as if by magic.

  "Hi! Melchior! where are you!"

  "Here, herr," he replied, showing himself again from behind one of thegreat jagged masses of stone which strewed the ravine. "There is agreat crack here."

  They climbed over some awkward rocks and joined him, to find that adismal chasm of great depth went off here at a sharp angle; and somelittle distance down one of its rugged walls he pointed out a darkopening which seemed unapproachable at first, though a little furtherexamination showed that it was quite possible for a cool-headed man toget down--one who would not think of the dark depths below.

  "How came you to find this place?" said Saxe. "We have come by herethree times now without seeing it."

  "I told you, herr. I found that crystal just there at the entrance tothe narrow split--by the stone where you saw me standing."

  "And that made you think there must be a crystal cavern near?"

  "Yes, herr; and there it is. I wonder it has never bee
n found before.And yet I do not, for no one but an Englishman would think of coming ina place like this."

  "Have you been down to it?"

  "Oh yes, herr. It is easy enough to get to; but we will have the rope,to make it easier. Will you come down?"

  "Yes; let's see it," said Dale eagerly, while Saxe felt a curioussensation of shrinking as he saw the guide secure one end of his rope tothe nearest block of stone that stood up clear.

  "Is that strong enough?" said Dale.

  "Oh yes, herr; it is not a loose stone, but a solid piece of the rock,and would bear a dozen of us. I will go down first."

  He took hold of the rope, slipped over the edge of the shelf upon whichthey stood, and lowered himself down from buttress to ledge andprojecting block, and stood the next minute inside the narrow crack.

  "Will you go next, Saxe?"

  The boy did not reply, but, imitating Melchior's actions as nearly as hecould, he lowered himself down, only hesitating once, when he washanging over the dark hollow up from which came the noise of fallingwater.

  "Come along, herr," said Melchior encouragingly, as he leaned out of thehole and looked up. "Down another foot, and you can find a place torest upon. The remainder is as easy as can be."

  Saxe found it so, for it only wanted confidence, and the next minute hewas standing beside the guide and looking up from the opening as Dalenow began to descend.

  Saxe had to back into the black rift to make room for Dale to come, andhe held on tightly by a projection from the rocky side of the cavern tostand listening to the trickling of water, evidently a great way below;and as the weird whispering sound came up, he could not repress ashudder.

  But there was no time left him for reflections about the danger, for thenext minute Dale was blocking out the light of the entrance.

  "Ah!" he exclaimed, "this looks a likely place. Here, let's have amatch before we move. There may be all kinds of horrible pitfalls closeat hand." He let go of the rope, which swung to and fro in front of theopening, and took out a box of wax matches.

  "I quite thought you had been down here, herr," said Melchior. Then, asa match was struck and held up, he continued: "Yes, we must have thelanthorn here, herr, for it is dangerous. See how the floor is split upinto great holes."

  Feeble as the light of the match proved, it was bright enough to showthat; and, when nearly burned out, Dale threw it from him, and it fell,still burning, down and down till it was a tiny spark and it wasimpossible to say at last whether it went out or disappeared stillburning in the great depth below.

  "Why, Saxe, we have hit at last upon a veritable crystal mine," saidDale, as he held up a fresh match above his head, whose light wasreflected from the facets of hundreds upon hundreds of crystalsdepending from the roof and sides, and, as far as they could see for thetiny glow, encircling the whole place; while Saxe now found that theprojection by which he held was a hexagonal piece as clear as glass.

  "Yes, herr," said the guide triumphantly: "this is what you wished for."

  "No," said Dale, throwing away the end of the match again. "Veryinteresting, Melchior; but not what I meant."

  "Then I have not understood the herr," said the guide, in a disappointedtone.

  "Oh yes; and brought us to the part of the mountains where these wondersof Nature are to be found. These are beautiful, but, as far as I cansee, all very small."

  "But there may be big ones, herr," cried Melchior.

  "May be; but it is doubtful here. There, it does not matter, for in theother cave--that to which you climbed--there are splendid specimens."

  "Is the herr quite sure?"

  "Yes, for we brought one away, and Saxe hid it somewhere, and hasforgotten the place."

  "Mr Dale!" cried Saxe indignantly.

  "Well, then, I did," said Dale, laughing. "There, both of you, I amquite content. I should not have murmured about these, but we have atour command some that are incomparably better; and to-morrow we willcome properly prepared with lights, chisels and hammer, and see what wecan do."

  "I am very glad, herr; and I have one peak I can take you up--theBlitzenhorn--where I am nearly sure we can find the finest yet."

  "Good: we will try it. Now let's get back and dine."

  "Yes, that will be wise," said the guide, as Saxe pricked up his ears atthe suggestion. "I journeyed nearly all last night, herr, so as to getback soon; and I hurried on as soon as I found your letter with the pineskewer through it."

  "Under the stone, Melchior."

  "No, herr: stuck down into the crack between two pieces of rock."

  Dale said no more; and Saxe thought it strange, for he remembered theincident of securing the message perfectly.

  "But Melk was tired and sleepy: he fancied it was secured like that,"Saxe said to himself.

  He had no time to think more, for Dale spoke to him. "Now, my lad," hesaid, "up with you; or shall one of us go first?"

  "Oh, I'll go," said Saxe, turning to the gloomy opening, and reachingout his hand for the dull grey rope, which showed clearly against theblack face of rock on the opposite side, not twenty feet away.

  "Get a good hold, herr; next turn face inward, and swing yourself alittle sidewise; then you will be on good climbing rock, and can easilyget up."

  Saxe nodded, took hold of the rope, turned round, reached up as high ashe could, and then was about to throw his whole weight upon it, when itgave way, and came down upon him. This, with the surprise, threw himoff his balance, and he would have gone down backward, headlong to thebottom of the narrow cleft, but for the action of the guide, who dartedout one hand and caught him.