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The Crystal Hunters: A Boy's Adventures in the Higher Alps, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 28. The Crystal Grotto |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT. THE CRYSTAL GROTTO Dale threw down the rope from his shoulder, took off hat and jacket, replaced the rope like a scarf, and then stood looking upwards. "Oh, pray be careful!" cried Saxe, rather faintly. "Yes, miss," said Dale mockingly. "Why don't you come and take hold of my hand! There, boy, I have climbed before now, and I'll be as careful as I can. Hah! that's the better way. 'Take it coolly,' Saxe, as Jacob Faithful used to say. I'll soon have you down." He went along the chasm a few yards, and then began to climb up the nearly perpendicular face of the rock, taking advantage of every niche and projection, and gradually getting higher and higher, but always farther away from where Saxe hung watching him with lips apart, and in constant dread lest there should be a sudden slip and a fall. "And that would make it horrible," thought the lad. "What should I do then?" Dale climbed on talking the while when he did not give vent to a good-humoured grunt over some extra difficult bit. Saxe said nothing, for he felt hurt. It seemed to him that his companion was treating him like a child, and saying all kinds of moral things in a light way, so as to keep up his spirits; and, as Dale saw the effect his words produced, he said less. "Rather a tough bit of climbing," he cried, after a few minutes' silence; "but I've had worse to do: for I've gone over pieces like this when there has been a fall of a thousand feet or so beneath me, and that makes one mind one's p's and q's, Saxe--precipices and queer spots--eh? But I shall soon do this. All it wants is a little, coolness and determination." "Why are you going so far along that way!" cried Saxe, who liked this tone better. "Because the line of the stratum runs this way, and higher up there is another goes off at an angle right above where you are; and there is a projection, if I can reach it, which will do for the rope: I could see it all from down below." Saxe watched him breathlessly till he was on a level with the opening by which he clung, but fully forty yards away. There he turned and began to climb back, and always rising higher till he was some thirty feet higher than the opening, but still considerably to Saxe's right. "Now," he said quietly, as he stood with his face close to the rock: "here is the spot, if I can get the rope over that projection." "But then I could not reach it," said Saxe. "I'll see about that," said Dale, carefully holding on with one hand while he drew the coil of rope over his head,--no easy task, with his feet resting upon a very narrow projection, and the rock against which he pressed himself nearly straight up and down. "That's right," he said, as he let the coil rest upon one arm, and set the end free. "Now, Saxe, what's to be done next? There's a block up there if I could get a loop thrown over it; but lassoing rocks was not included in my education, and I'm afraid it will be rather difficult with the left hand." To Saxe it seemed to be impossible, and he watched intently as he saw his companion double a portion of the rope so as to make a large loop, and to tie this he had to hold the twisted hemp right above his head, pressing his chest against the rock the while so as to preserve his balance, and more than once Saxe gave a gasp as it seemed to him that the venturous man was about to fall backward. But he succeeded, and then let the loop and his arms drop down. "Hard work," he said. "Five minutes' rest. Curious how wearying it is to hold your limbs in a fresh position. Now then," he continued, "I've got to throw that loop over the block up there left-handed. How many tries will it take?" Saxe remained silent, for he was by no means hopeful; and he watched intently as Dale loosened the rings upon his arm and gathered two or three in his left hand, which he dropped again, while with his right he tried to get a good grip of the rock where there was scarcely any hold at all. "Now," he said, as calmly as if he were about to perform some feat with a quoit on level ground, instead of being balanced up in a perilous position, where the slightest loss of equilibrium meant a fall on to rugged stones of over a hundred feet. As he spoke he threw up the braced loop so truly that it went exactly over the projection, and several rings ran off from his arm and hung down. "Not a bad throw," he said quietly. "I didn't know I was so clever, Saxe. The question is, will it hold?" The test was soon applied, for he drew the rope in slowly, till the slack was all gathered in, tightened it more and more, and the loop glided off the projection and fell. "If at first you don't succeed--eh, Saxe? You know the rest?" cried Dale, as he drew up the loop and coiled the rope on his arm again. "I must get it farther on." He threw again, and once more lassoed the projection; but the loop dropped off this time with the weight of the rope, and he had to begin again making all his preparations as carefully as a man does in some perilous position. Another throw, which proved a complete miss. Then another and another, each proving to be less accurate than the one which had gone before. "Five minutes' rest," said Dale quietly. "My arm is getting tired." A dead silence reigned then for a few minutes, during which time a dark shadow glided across the deep gully, and they heard the faint whizzing sound of the wings of an eagle, whose keen, cruel eyes looked down at them as if seeing prey. "Now," cried Dale, "I must do this, Saxe. Don't be impatient with me, boy; and if it's any comfort to you, I may tell you that I am in a far worse position than you." "Yes; I know," said Saxe hoarsely. "I wish I could help." "Do so another time by not getting yourself into such a scrape. Hush! don't speak: I'm going to throw." The loop went flying up; but at the same moment Saxe saw Dale slip a little, and it was only by a violent effort that he saved himself from falling, while, as a consequence, the loop missed again, and fell to the full length of the rings off the thrower's arm. Saxe drew a deep breath, and watched now with a growing sensation of hopelessness as he saw each effort made, and every one after deliberate and careful gathering up of the rope and hanging it in rings upon the left arm. But no matter how he tried Dale's casts grew more and more erring, till, quite in despair, he stood fast, resting his weary arm, and said with an apologetic air-- "I wish I were not so clumsy, Saxe. I'm afraid I must try some fresh plan." There was a long pause now, and Dale seemed to be thinking. "Are you quite safe?" he said at last. "I--that is, I can hold on," said Saxe sadly. "That's right. I'm going to have one more try, lad, and if I fail I must climb again and see if I can get higher, so as to drop the loop over the rock; but I don't want to do that if I can help it, for, as you say, the getting down is bad." He made a very long and careful preparation this time, and threw with so much vigour and want of accuracy that the loop missed; but a coil of the rope went right over the projection where the loop should have been, and the latter hung down nearly level with the thrower, and swinging to and fro some eight or ten feet away. This was an unexpected complication, but Dale saw success in it; and after pausing for a few minutes to think, he began to climb sidewise toward it inch by inch over a part that was perilous in the extreme, till he was within four feet of the swinging loop. Then, glancing upward to make sure that the rope was well over the projection, he tightened the part he held, and, rising a little, let himself fall sidewise toward the loop, catching it easily, and swinging to and fro by the two ends of the rope as he vainly sought to find a hold for his feet. "All right, Saxe," he said, as he rested one foot on a tiny boss; "I shall do it now." Then, helping himself by the double rope for hold, he climbed up the few feet between him and the projection, making use of every little crevice or angle for his feet, till he was able to get one arm right over the little block and hold on while he drew up the loop, cast off the piece of rope, and carefully arranged the loop in its place. "Hurrah! That will not slip," he said. "Pray--pray be careful," cried Saxe. "Trust me: I will," said Dale, seizing the rope now with strong grip and lowering himself till he was hanging from it with both hands; then gliding down lower and lower, while Saxe felt puzzled, but dared not speak for fear of upsetting his companion at some special moment. Dale lowered himself till he was level with the place he had quitted, and then began to swing himself to and fro across the face of the rock, evidently meaning to land upon the projection he had occupied so long. But after several trials he found that he had not sufficient length of rope for this, and he had to lower himself a little more, showing the while the most implicit confidence in the rope as he began to swing again, describing a larger and a larger arc, till he checked himself when farthest distant from Saxe, upon a projection which just gave him room enough to stand on a level with Saxe. It was ticklish work, but by the help of the rope he maintained his balance till he could find hand-hold and stand perfectly upright. "There, Saxe," he said, rather breathlessly, "the game is won." "I don't see it," said Saxe mournfully. "Well, I do. I shall throw the rope across to you. Catch it, and take your ice-axe and descend." "But you must not be left in that dangerous position." "Not long, I hope," said Dale quietly. "You can swing the rope to me as soon as you are down, and by its help I can swing myself to your ledge and examine your discovery. Now then: look out! Ready!" "Yes." "Then off!" The rope was thrown and caught dexterously by Saxe, who swung loose in the act and slipped a little way down. "Never mind the ice-axe," cried Dale, as he saw the lad begin to climb up again. "I'll bring that down with me." Saxe ceased his efforts to regain his former level, and let himself glide down to the bottom of the gully, where he could climb forward till he was beyond where Dale was clinging and draw the rope right into his reach. "Let go!" cried Dale, seizing the welcome rope; and as Saxe obeyed he swung himself to and fro again, till this time he was able to land himself on the ledge the boy had just quitted, and maintained his position by thrusting his arm into the opening and grasping the handle of the axe. "Well," cried Saxe, "is it a crystal cave?" For once more on terra firma, the peril of his late position was pretty well forgotten. "Without a doubt," was the reply, after a pause. "I was beginning to bully you horribly, but after this I suppose I must hold my tongue." Saxe's spirits, which had been down to zero, rose now to the highest point. "Can you break a piece off with the axe?" he said, as he saw that Dale had twisted the rope round his arm for safety, and was reaching into the hole as far as his hand would go. "That is what I have just done," replied Dale; "and now I have lost it. No: I have it. I can hook it out now. Here it comes." And as Saxe stood on one side and watched, he saw his companion's arm drawn out, then by degrees the handle of the axe, and in imagination he saw a tiny piece of crystal drawn along by the steel head. "I have it now," cried Dale. "Ah!" He uttered a loud ejaculation, for his feet had slipped from the narrow ledge, and he was hanging by one arm, turning slowly round and round. A sharp struggle enabled him to regain his position, and once back there he drew out the axe completely, thrust it behind him, through his belt, and then pushed his hand into the orifice again. "Throw me a bit of crystal down, and I'll catch it," said Saxe. Dale laughed, and held out a bluntly pointed, angular piece of dart stone that looked almost black as he thrust it into his breast. Then, grasping the rope with hands and feet, he slid slowly down and stood by his companion's side. "A nice adventure this," he said, "when I had come out for a quiet day!" He drew the crystal from his breast, and held it up for Saxe to see. "But it's so black-looking," cried the latter, as he took hold of the great dark crystal, pure-looking and clear as its name suggested, while every angle was sharp and perfect as if it were the production of that very day. "Black?" said Dale. "So much the better. It is a very valuable kind, and there are plenty more. As far as I could make out, some are very large. Saxe, my lad, we must not think of the trouble and danger, for we both have been in great peril, and I talked lightly just to keep up your spirits,--I say we must not think of the troubles, for you have made a marvellous find, and I congratulate you." "Then you are satisfied?" said Saxe eagerly. "More than satisfied. You could not have done better. Now to secure our find. We must not leave the rope there, because that would betray the place." "But nobody ever comes here." "We hope nobody has been here, my boy; but, according to my experience, somebody will be sure to come now and find it." "But how are we to get the rope up again if we take it down?" "We shall have to scheme it somehow, my lad. What man has done I have no doubt he can do again." "But we must leave it," said Saxe, with a laugh, for he was in the highest spirits now. "We can't get it down." "Indeed!" said Dale. "I think I provided for that;" and taking hold of the bottom, he gave the rope a sharp shake, sending a wave along it which snatched the loop from the projection, and the strong hempen line dropped at their feet. "I hardly expected that," cried Saxe, proceeding to coil it up; "but it will be a terrible job to get it there again." "We shall see," said Dale, as the loop was unfastened, the end twisted about the coil, and he once more threw it over his shoulder, after resuming his coat. "Now for camp. I little expected to make such a discovery when we started. Saxe, we shall have to pitch our tent up here when Melchior comes back." "In this gloomy crack? Why, there will be no food for Gros!" "Nor for us unless we bring it. I dare say we shall manage; but Melchior will be disappointed when he finds that we have made the discovery without his help." As he spoke Dale looked up the gorge toward the sky, scanning the jagged edges of the summit. "I hope no one has been watching us," he said. "It would not be very pleasant to find that any one has been spying all our actions, ready to take advantage of our find. There, come along! We cannot stop to watch the place, even if we felt this had been the case, for we've a long journey back out of this place, and then down the glacier home." They began their arduous descent of the rugged place, Saxe walking behind, till Dale stopped by where the water, which had been gurgling along out of sight, rose now to the surface, so that they could obtain a refreshing draught. As Saxe rose from his knees and wiped the drops from his mouth, he looked at Dale curiously. "Well, what is it, boy?" "What made you say about it being awkward if some one were watching us?" "Oh, I don't know. The idea occurred to me. Why do you ask?" "Because--perhaps it's fancy--it always seems to me that some one is watching us." "What?" "Those stones tumbling about our ears, and that glimpse I got of something going along the mountain; and then that night when some one came and made Gros cry out!" "Oh, fancy, my lad--fancy," cried Dale; but there was a quick nervous tone in his utterance, and he walked on now toward the mouth of the ravine in a hurried manner, which suggested that he was thinking deeply about Saxe's words; and he was very silent all the way back to camp. _ |
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