CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.
FROM THE SNOW GRAVE.
Saxe seemed to have awakened from sleep with a terrible throbbingheadache, to listen to a curious digging sound which was going on overhis head. He could hear a loud rumbling too, and, as he was stillwandering and confused at being suddenly awakened, as it appeared tohim, the truth came with a leap, just as the axe handle, which he stillheld, was sharply agitated to keep the hole open, and Melchior's voicecame down to him.
"Try--try and speak, young herr!" But for a few moments no word wouldcome from his lips. He wanted to speak; he strove hard, wondering thewhile at his silence; but not a sound came, till there was a deep groanfrom above him, and then with a sudden rush the words came from his pentup breast--
"Melk! Help--help!"
"Hah! That's right. Yes, boy!" was shouted down to him loudly."That's right. Keep a good heart, and I'll soon have you out. Can youbreathe well?"
The axe handle was agitated while these words were spoken; and as Saxereplied, the efforts of the guide were renewed, and he cut and choppedaway at the compressed snow, sending the sparkling crystals flying, andtoiling hard; while a word or two were exchanged from time to time, theguide's being so full of encouragement and promise that the boy grewmore and more hopeful.
At last the fragments of snow began to crumble down more rapidly; and,in spite of Melchior's efforts to keep the way clear, the snow roseabout Saxe's face, so that very little more of it would have meantsuffocation. The boy fought hard with his left hand to keep the snowclear, but there was no space sufficient for him to sweep it right away;and the moments grew more and more anxious as Melchior's axe cut andchipped, and he tore out great pieces from the hole he was making andhurled them down the slope.
And all the while the prisoner gazed up through his pinched-togethereyes, for the fragments and ice dust fell fast, till at last the pointof Melchior's axe appeared suddenly, and was as quickly withdrawn.
"How far was that from your face, boy?" whispered Melchior.
"Nearly a foot."
"Hah! that's well," cried the man; and the blows of the axe fell merrilynow, till a great piece of the impending snow was suddenly lifted out,and the prisoner breathed freely as he gazed wildly up past the guide'sbody at the glowing evening sky.
This piece removed, the guide's next effort was to clear the loose enowcrystals and chips of ice away from the prisoner's face, and to chip offother pieces of the snow which had roofed him in. Then, getting himselfinto a better position, he bent down and grasped the boy's hands.
"I just saw the head of your axe," he said. "There, keep heart of goldin you, lad: you will soon be out now. I think if I place your axeacross for you to drag at, and I try too, we shall be able to draw youright out. A minute's rest first, though. Now you can breathe. I ambreathless too."
"Where is Mr Dale?" panted Saxe; but there was no reply, and Saxe readthe worst in the barely seen face bent over him in the rough well-likehole that had been cut so energetically.
A few minutes only were allowed to elapse, and then the guide took theice-axe to which Saxe still clung from the boy's hand to lay it aside.
"Now," he said, "close your eyes while I cut a couple of holes."
The boy obeyed, and tried hard not to wince as the hard chips flew andstruck him again and again in the face; while making the implement flashas he struck with it energetically, Melchior cut deeply into the sidesof the hole, and just at a suitable distance for the object he had inview.
This of course was to place Saxe's ice-axe across, with head and buttresting in the two holes, and he had judged so accurately that the headwent in with not half an inch to spare after he had thrust in the buttspike at the opposite side.
"Now," cried the guide, "take well hold of that, while I stoop down andget my hands under your arms and locked across your breast. Then, as Igive the word, we must heave together."
He got himself into position as he spoke, but had to use the spike atthe end of his axe handle to form a place for his feet on either side.Then, throwing down the axe, he planted his feet firmly, bent downnearly double, clasped his hands round the boy, and after seeing that hehad a good grip of the ashen handle above his head, called upon him toheave.
Then began a slow, patient struggle, with Saxe tugging at the cross-barformed by his ice-axe, till it bent more and more into a bow, whileMelchior brought his powerful muscles to bear in a steady strain, tillSaxe gasped forth--
"No, no! Stop!"
"Did I hurt you?" said Melchior.
"Only seemed as if you were pulling me right in two," groaned the boy."It's of no use; you can't get me out."
"I can, and I will," said the guide firmly.
"I would go on cutting you out, only it would take so many hours, and Iam afraid--"
"Of what?" said Saxe faintly, and speaking more for the sake of gainingtime than anything else, so terrible had the strain been for him.
"I am afraid of loosening the snow and starting it again by my blows,"replied Melchior. "It takes so little sometimes to begin an avalanche,and we know how the snow hangs lightly on this side of the mountain."
"Yes," said Saxe, with his eyes half-closed.
"And he would be dead long before I could get him out," said Melchior tohimself. "Poor boy! He could not last for hours frozen in like that."
Saxe opened his eyes again, and looked up at the guide wildly.
"Never mind me now," he said: "go and find Mr Dale."
Melchior shook his head.
"No: my duty is here, herr, and I must get you out. As soon as you canbear it I must try again."
"But I can't bear it. You can never get me out."
"We shall see," cried the guide cheerily. "Come: you are upset. Whereis your what you English call pluck?"
This was said in a tone in which there seemed to be so much contempt,that Saxe gazed at the man resentfully, and seizing the cross-bar againhe cried--
"Try again!"
The guide smiled as soon as he was not noticed, and then bending downonce more the strain began again, and was carried on till Melchiorhimself gave in.
"We must rest once more, herr," he said, as he removed his arms; andthen, as Saxe made no sign, he looked down excitedly in the boy's face,to see that his eyes were closed and that he was quite inanimate.
"Poor boy!" he said tenderly: "that sneer at his courage made him fighttill he could do no more."
The guide stood upright now, breathing hard as if to inhale freshstrength; and then gathering himself together, he bent down again.
"Better now, while he is insensible," he muttered.
This time he got himself down lower, and his arms so far round Saxe thathe was able to hook his hands about his elbows. Then, slowly bringinghis great strength to bear, he began to heave, the veins standing outlike network about his temples, and his face turning purple as he stroveto draw the prisoner out of the icy fetters in which he was fast. Butfor some moments every effort seemed to be vain, and a horrible feelingof despair came over the guide as he relaxed his efforts once more.
But only while one might have counted twenty before he tightened hisclasp once more, and heaved with so good an effect that he drew Saxeright out of the icy mould, which had pretty well shaped itself to thelower part of his figure, and then carried him out of the excavation andlaid him down barefooted upon the snow.
The Crystal Hunters: A Boy's Adventures in the Higher Alps Page 36