“Yes, alone: but with that lad?”
“Well, herr, if we come to a very dangerous bit I should say give it up for his sake. But we shall see.”
They stood smoking and looking about at the different parts above them, marking out the way they would go when they had mastered the arête, and then returned to Saxe, who was lying down in the sunshine resting.
“Well. Saxe: ten minutes nearly up. Will you stop or go on?”
Saxe looked rather pale, but he laughed.
“Wait here, getting cold?”
“No! there will be plenty of sunshine.”
“Yes, but—wait here hours while you two go up to the top and sit down, see the view and eat all the lunch. No; I’m coming with you.”
“Right: you shall. Ready, Melchior!”
“Yes, herr. I think we’ll have the rope again: I can give you both a bit of a haul sometimes.”