“Yes; it must be some one cutting steps: but it is evidently a long way off. We can’t see from here, but some one must be on the mountain above us, and the sound comes through the clear air, and strikes against the valley wall over yonder. Yes: hark! It seems to come from there; but, depend upon it, the cause is high up overhead.”
They started again, for everything was growing greyer, and in spite of the hard work they both began to feel cold. But they had not gone a dozen steps before the sound began again, and Saxe cried excitedly—
“It’s from out on the glacier somewhere. There are people there, and we shall get help.”
There was so much, decision in the boy’s utterance that Dale was impressed, and he stopped short close up to the ice, listening to the chipping sound, which was distinctly heard now, though very faint.
All at once Saxe went forward a step or two, and then dropped upon his knees on the stone where the ice stood a few inches away from the rock, melted and worn by the water that evidently tore down at times.
“Well?” said Dale, as Saxe listened.
“Yes, you can hear it more plainly here,” said the boy.
“No!”
“Come and listen.”
Dale laid his head against the ice, and for a few moments nothing was heard.