“You felt, then, that we came up this ravine!”

“Oh yes, herr; and I was not surprised. It is one of the places I thought likely for crystals, and I see you have found some.”

“Pound some? How do you know?” cried Saxe.

“Because I see you have been to one cave and left some of your treasure behind. I found this just inside the way leading to it.”

“Then you climbed up?” said Saxe, taking a little crystal of the size of his finger from the guide’s hand.

“No, herr; I climbed down,” replied Melchior.

“From where? Did you come over the top?”

“No, herr; from the mouth, by the glacier, I came right along the bottom, and turned down into the chasm below.”

“What chasm below?” said Dale eagerly.

“Is it possible the herr does not know?”