“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.