deep abyss.

"Worms!" said she, "as if you were lords of creation!" She turned from
them and looked mockingly upon the deep valley, where the cars were
rushing by.

"There sit those _thoughts_ in their power of strength! I see them
all!--There sits one, proud as a king and alone! They sit in masses!
There, half are asleep! When the steam-dragon stops, they will descend
and go their way! The thoughts go out into the world!" She laughed.

"There rolls another avalanche!" they said in the valley.

"It will not catch us!" said two on the back of the steam
dragon;--"two souls and one thought"--these were Rudy and Babette; the
miller was there also.

"As baggage," said he, "I go along, as the indispensable!"

"There sit the two," said the Ice-Maiden, "I have crushed many a
chamois; I have bent and broken millions of alpine roses, so that no
roots were left! I shall annihilate _them_! The thoughts! The mental
powers!" She laughed.

"There rolls another avalanche!" they said in the valley.




X.