He seized his sister's hand and dragged her to the top of the
rock which overlooked the pass, and there they gazed in dismay at
the scene before them. Where that morning the procession from the
village had so gayly followed the winding trail up the mountain-
side, there was now a great mass of rocks, ice, and snow
completely blocking the path. Worse than that, the avalanche had
made a dam across the bed of the mountain stream where the cattle
stopped to drink, turning it into a little lake which was growing
wider and deeper every moment. The goats were huddled together on
the brink, bleating anxiously, while Bello, completely
bewildered, ran back and forth, barking wildly.

The children knew well how serious their situation was; they were
alone on the mountain, the only pass to the village closed, and
without food except the lunch they had brought from home that
morning. For a few moments they watched the water rising steadily
in the little lake, too terrified to speak; then Leneli said,
"Let's go back to the Giant Pine and think."

Seppi blew his little horn, but, instead of rounding up the
goats, Bello only looked at him and whined. It had been a day of
tremendous surprises to Bello. 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.

"We can't get home that way; that's certain," said Seppi,