An Unseen Danger.
“I shall be glad when Melchior comes back,” said Dale, as they sat resting that night, with the dark shadows gathering in the valley, and the various peaks burning still in the sinking sunlight like glowing fire.
“I suppose he may be here any time now?” replied Saxe.
“Yes—no: he will be sure to have a heavy load, and he will not try to hurry the poor beast.”
They had had the crystal out to examine again, and the more it was judged the higher Dale’s opinion of it grew.
“No,” he said suddenly: “that would not do at all.”
Saxe stared at him, for this remark had no bearing upon what had passed before.
“I said that would not do at all, Saxe, to have some one watching our movements, and taking advantage of our being away to profit by them. Still, I feel pretty safe so far, and to-morrow we will climb to the mouth of that gully and stop about it, even if we do not go up.”
“But suppose anybody came and took them after we had discovered them: wouldn’t that be stealing!”
Dale shook his head.