The Crystal Hunters: A Boy's Adventures in the Higher Alps
Page 21
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
"YOU THINK HE IS DEAD?"
Saxe never knew how long it was before he was roused from his miserablelethargic state by a faint hail, which acted upon him like magic, makinghim spring to his feet and answer before going back to the edge of thecrevasse, and uttering a cry that was doleful in the extreme.
Then he shaded his eyes and gazed downward beneath the labyrinth of iceblocks among which the smoother ice which had formed their path woundits way; but for a long time he could see nothing of Dale, and he wasbeginning to ask himself whether it was fancy, when there was anotherhail, and soon after he caught sight of Dale's head and shoulders as heclimbed up the icy slope, and saw that the new rope was across hisbreast.
But this sent no thrill of joy through Saxe, for he seemed instinctivelyto know that it would be useless, and he shook his head.
In another ten minutes Dale came panting up, and, without hesitation,leaped the chasm.
"Well," he said, "you have heard him?"
"No."
"Has he not answered once?"
"No."
Dale stood frowning and in silence for some seconds, before sayingsternly, "well, we have our duty to do, Saxe. We must get him out."
"Yes, I'm ready," replied the boy; and he stood watching as Dale tookthe coil of rope from his shoulder, a ball of thin string from his coatpocket, and the lanthorn from his ice-axe, to whose head he had slung itas he came.
"Ah!" cried Saxe, "you have brought the lamp and string. You are goingto let down a light for us to see where he lies?"
"I was going to, my boy; but I think better of it now. You shall godown without. It looks dark there, but it will not be so very black.The long light across will strike down."
Saxe told him about the pieces of ice he had thrown down, and Dalelooked terribly serious.
"So deep as that?" he muttered. Then quickly: "But one piece struck onsome ledge. He must have fallen there. Now, lay down your axe, but youmust take it with you."
Saxe obeyed, and set his teeth hard, as Dale scraped away the snow andfound almost directly a narrow crack which ran parallel with thecrevasse, but so slight that there was just room to force down the stoutashen staff which formed the handle of the ice-axe, the top of it andabout a foot of the staff standing above the ice.
"That's firm as rock," said Dale, after trying it. "I could trustmyself to it, and the rope will run round it easily."
"You think the rope is strong enough?" said Saxe.
"I had it thoroughly tested before we left England. I could venture tohang a bull from it, or two or three men. But, ones for all, I have noright to send you down there. Tell me you dare not go, and I will giveup, and we must go in search of help, for this is a terrible task. Youwould rather not go?"
Saxe was silent.
"Speak!"
"I won't," cried Saxe passionately; and then to himself, "I'd diefirst."
He held up his arms for Dale to knot the rope about him, watching theprocess with knitted brow.
"There: that is safe," said Dale. "Now pick up your ice-axe and hold bythe rope with your left hand, so as to ease the strain upon your chest.Use the ice-axe cautiously, to keep yourself from turning round and fromstriking against the side. When you get down to the ledge, which mustbe, from what you say, only just out of sight, you will chip a secureplace for your feet if the ice slopes, and, proceeding quite slowly andcalmly, make yourself first quite safe. When this is done, unfasten therope from about you, and make it fast about poor Melchior. Be veryparticular about the knot, mind. Don't forget what I have taught you.That knot must not slip in any way, either in tightening round his chestor coming undone."
"I'll remember," panted Saxe.
"That's right. Now then, I think that is all, except a final word.There is no danger for you to dread. The rope is new and strong, and Iam at one end."
"You will not let it slip through your hands?"
Dale smiled at him sadly, and shook his head.
"Ready?" he said.
"Yes."
"Take off your hat."
Saxe obeyed, and Dale removed his and knelt down in the snow, Saxeslowly sinking upon his knees.
There was a minute's silence as a brief, heartfelt prayer was offered upfor help: and then Dale sprang to his feet with an eager, bright,cheerful look upon his face, and, clapping a hand on either side ofSaxe's waist, he lifted him by his belt and set him down again.
"Why, I could draw up half a dozen of you," he said. "Now, steady!Down with you, and slide over. Saxe, you are going to the rescue of afellow-man."
The boy set his teeth, his brow furrowed, and there were marks about hiseyes, as he saw Dale throw the rope round the handle of the ice-axe, andthen over the coil, so that the rings of rope should come off freely.Then he grasped the hemp firmly with one hand, his ice-axe with theother, and threw back his legs over the edge of the crevasse close towhere the great piece had broken away. As he did this a piece of snowslipped from under his chest, and went down before him and he was overthe side, swinging gently to and fro, as he heard a spattering noisecome from below.
"Don't be afraid to talk, Saxe," said Dale loudly; and every word camedistinctly to the boy's ears as the sides of the crevasse slowly roseabove him, and, in spite of himself, he turned his eyes up with a wildlonging toward the deep blue sky.
"I--I can't talk," he gasped forth.
"All right--steady! Take it coolly, lad."
"Yes; only don't ask me to talk till I've something to say."
"No!" shouted Dale, as the sides of the crevasses grew more distant andrepresented two jagged lines against the sky. "Splendid rope, Saxe!"came down to him; "runs as easily as if it were made of silk. Cut yourchest?"
"Not much," shouted the boy, who for an instant felt a sensation ofdanger as the rope turned him round; but, remembering his instructions,he touched the wall of clear ice with the point at the end of the axehandle, checked himself, and tried to look downward into the bluetransparent light which rose up to meet him, as it seemed.
"Half the rope out, Saxe!" came from above. "See anything!"
"No."
"Bit lower down, I suppose. Don't let it turn."
The two edges of the crevasse now began to approach, each other, as itseemed to Saxe; and he could see that, except where the piece was brokenaway, they exactly matched, every angle on the one side having itsdepression on the other, the curves following each other with marvellousexactness, just as if the fracture were one of only a few weeks old.
"See the ledge, Saxe?" came down.
"No;" and the lad felt an intense longing now to be able to see Dale'sface watching him, for it would have seemed like companionship, insteadof his having nothing to gaze at but the strip of blue sky, and theglistening blue-ice walls on either side going off to right and lefttill they seemed to come together in the blue gloom.
And still the rope glided over the ice above, and the slip of sky grewnarrow; but though Saxe peered down into the depths, there was no signof any ledge, and the boy who now felt less nervous, was wondering howmuch longer the rope was, when Dale's voice was heard.
"No more rope!" he cried. "Now, can you see the ledge?"
Saxe gazed down in silence for a few moments, and Dale's voice cameagain--short, sharp and impatient:
"I say, can you see the ledge?"
"No."
"Are you quite sure?"
"Yes."
There was a pause, and then Dale's voice was heard again:
"Does the rope hurt you much?"
"No."
"Can you bear it five minutes longer!"
"Yes--a quarter of an hour."
"Bravo! Wait."
There was a strange silence then, during which Saxe gazed down belowhim; but he could see no more than when he had been at the top, onlythat everything looked blacker and more profound, and that the noise ofwaters was more plain as it reverberated from the slippery walls.
"What is he
doing?" thought Saxe. "I hope he will soon draw me up;" anda momentary feeling of panic came over him, and the rope felt painfullycutting. But just then he caught sight of a dark object against thesky. The dark object seemed to be descending, and the next moment hesaw that it was light, and he knew that the lanthorn was being sent downat the end of the string.
"Call to me if the rope hurts you too much," cried Dale; and to hishorror and astonishment Saxe, as he looked up, saw that his companion'shead and shoulders were over the side, and it was as if a black facewere looking down at his.
"The rope doesn't hurt; but--but--is it safe!"
"Perfectly; and I am letting down the light so that you may see wherethe ledge is."
"I understand."
The lanthorn glided down very rapidly, and in a few moments was levelwith Saxe's face. Then it descended still, and Dale called to him tosay when it should be stopped; but it was some time before the boysharply uttered the word, "Now!"
"See the ledge?"
"Yes--with some broken ice upon it."
"Does he seem much hurt?"
Saxe was silent for a few moments, and then said huskily--
"He is not there!"
"He must be. Look again."
"Swing the lanthorn backwards and forwards."
Dale responded by gradually making the lanthorn describe a considerablearc.
"No--no! No--no!" cried Saxe, as he swept the ledge with his eyes fromend to end.
Dale was silent for a time. Then he said huskily--
"Can you hold out while I lower the lanthorn as far as the string willgo?"
"Yes."
The light descended like a star going down into another firmament of asdeep and dark a blue as that above; and as Saxe watched he saw itreflected from the dark walls. Then lower, lower, and down and down,till suddenly it stopped.
"That is all the string--a hundred yards. Can you see him now!"
"No!" said Saxe hoarsely.
"You can see nothing!"
"Only the lamp swinging and the ice shining."
"Hold fast!" cried Dale, and the rope began to quiver in a peculiar way,as if it were receiving a series of jerks; but Saxe guessed that thismust mean that it was being hauled up handover-hand. There was no onegazing down at him now, and he had a full view of the blue strip of sky,which now grew broader and broader, till, after what seemed to have beena very long ascent, the top of the crevasse was reached.
"Now," said Dale, "reach over as far as you can, and drive in the pickof your axe."
Saxe obeyed.
"Now try and draw yourself up. That's right. I've got hold of therope. Now--together! That's right."
There was a heavy tug, and as some more snow rattled down into the gulfSaxe was drawn over the edge on to the surface, where the first thing henoticed was the fact that the other end of the rope had been fastenedround Dale's waist and passed round the ashen handle, so that when Dalehad lain down he had been able to support Saxe, and yet leave his handsfree.
"Untie yourself," said Dale gravely. "I am going to draw up thelanthorn."
"And what are you going to do then?" asked Saxe, who lay on the snowpanting, as if he had just gone through some very great exertion.
"Go back and give notice. Get together two or three guides, and consultwith them as to what is best to be done."
"Then you give him up?" said Saxe mournfully.
Dale looked at him in silence, for there seemed to be no answer neededto such a question, as he slowly wound in the string which held thelanthorn.
"Now, back to the valley as fast as we can," said Dale, as he draggedhis ice-axe out of the crack and threw the rope over his shoulder, andglanced round at the sky. "Got the lanthorn and string?"
"Yes," replied Saxe; "but we cannot get there before night."
"We cannot get any farther than the camp before dark, my boy," said Dalesadly. "It is impossible to go on then. We must wait there tilldaybreak, and then go for help."
"One minute, sir," said Saxe; but it was three or four before he couldgo on.
"Yes," said Dale.
"I only wanted to ask whether you think he is dead!"
"I'd give five years of my life, boy, to be able to say no; but Icannot!"