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Updated: May 9, 2025
"Get wet, I guess," answered Seppi. "There's no shelter." "There must be something," said Leneli. "I'll look, while you and Bello get the goats together." She dashed away as she spoke, and soon from a point farther down the mountain they heard her call.
Look at the bridge across it!" shouted Seppi. He stepped carefully forward, finding solid footing with his stick before each step, and in a short time stood safely on the other side of the chasm. There he waited and held his breath, while the goats picked their way daintily across the ice bridge after him, and when Leneli and Bello at last reached his side, he hugged them both for joy.
Fritz and Seppi were sorry, but when they saw the goat looking down at Leneli so calmly while she stormed and scolded below, they rolled over on the ground helpless with laughter. "It's all very well for you to laugh, sniffed Leneli; you've both got your lunches," and she went away quite sulkily and sat down on a stone by herself. Bello came and sat beside her and licked her hand.
They drove them into the shed, gave them some hay, and then rested their weary legs for a moment, siting on the kitchen steps, while they considered what to do next. Then an awful thought struck Leneli. "The avalanche!" she gasped. "Maybe she was caught by it!" Seppi grew pale and gulped down a sob. "No," he said, when after a moment he could speak. "I don't believe it!
First Fritz had left him; then came the thunder-storm; then starting home in the middle of the day instead of at the proper time; and now the path itself was gone! No wonder he was bewildered. Seppi dashed down to the water's edge and drove the goats up the trail again himself, and while they snatched stray mouthfuls here and there about the pine tree, he and Leneli sat down under it to think.
He blew and blew until he was red in the face, trying to play Fritz's tune, but only a hoarse bellow came from its throat. Leneli stood the noise for some time. Then she plucked a blade of grass, stretched it across a hollow between her two thumbs, and, when Seppi was not looking, blew with all her might right by his ear!
"You stay here and watch the goats." "Give me your horn, then," said Leneli; "and I'll blow it every little while so you can find your way back. You know Father always tells us not to leave the path because it's so easy to get lost." "That's a good idea," said Seppi. "See if you can blow it." Leneli put it to, her lips and blew until her face was purple, but achieved only a dismal squawk.
"It looks very small. It looks a great deal smaller than it did at home," said Leneli. "I wonder why?" "You are hungrier now than you were then," said Fritz. "I could eat it all myself," said Seppi. "But you won't," laughed Fritz; "I'll see to that." He divided the bread and cheese into three equal portions and handed one to each of the Twins. The third he put in his own pocket.
"They are far round on the other side of the mountain by this time," said Seppi, "where the sun has not yet had so much chance to melt the snow and start avalanches. They could not have been harmed by this one, for it fell on our side of the mountain." "Let us start home anyway," said Leneli, "even if it is early. I can't wait until night to know that Mother and Baby Roseli are safe."
Crash followed crash, and there was a sound of great rocks falling from dizzy mountain-heights far above them. The children clung to each other in terror, the goats trembled, and Bello crept farther under the rock. "The avalanche!" gasped Leneli, shaking with fright. "Father thought there wouldn't be any more this spring! Oh, I wish we were home!"
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