Sperver bowed, then advancing to a window, he opened it wide.  A furious blast of wind rushed in, driving the whirling snow as far as the corridor, and slammed the door with a crash.

I remained by my chair, leaning on its back.  Kasper slunk into a corner.  Sperver and the baron, with his groom, stood at the open window.

“Gentlemen,” said Sperver with a loud voice to make himself heard above the howling winds, and with arm extended, “you see the country mapped out before you.  If the weather was fair I would take you up into the tower, and then we could see the whole of the Black Forest at our feet, but it is no use now.  Here you can see the peak of the Altenberg.  Farther on behind that white ridge you may see the Wald Horn, beaten by a furious storm.  You must make straight for the Wald Horn.  From the summit of the rock, which seems formed like a mitre, and is called Roche Fendue, you will see three peaks, the Behrenkopp, the Geierstein, and the Trielfels.  It is by this last one at the right that you must proceed.  There is a torrent across the valley of the Rhethal, but it must be frozen now.  In any case, if you can get no farther, you will find on your left, on following the bank, a cavern half-way up the hill, called Roche Creuse.  You can spend the night there, and to-morrow very likely, if the wind falls, you will see the Wald Horn before you.  If you are lucky enough to meet with a charcoal-burner, he might, perhaps, show you where there is a ford over the stream; but I doubt whether one will be found anywhere on such a day as this.  There are none from our neighbourhood.  Only be careful to go right round the base of the Behrenkopp, for you could not get down the other side.  It is a precipice.”

During these observations I was watching Sperver, whose clear, energetic tones indicated the different points in the road with the greatest precision, and I watched, too, the young baron, who was listening with the closest attention.  No obstacle seemed to alarm him.  The old groom seemed not less bent upon the enterprise.

Just as they were leaving the window a momentary light broke through the grey snow-clouds—­just one of those moments when the eddying wind lays hold of the falling clouds of snow and flings them back again like floating garments of white.  Then for a moment there was a glimpse of the distance.  The three peaks stood out behind the Altenberg.  The description which Sperver had given of invisible objects became visible for a few moments; then the air again was veiled in ghostly clouds of flying snow.

“Thank you,” said the baron.  “Now I have seen the point I am to make for; and, thanks to your explanations, I hope to reach it.”

Sperver bowed without answering.  The young man and his servant, having saluted us, retired slowly and gravely.

Gideon shut the window, and addressing Master Tobias and me, said—­

“The deuce must be in the man to start off in such horrible weather as this.  I could hardly turn out a wolf on such a day as this.  However, it is their business, not mine.  I seem to remember that young man’s face, and his servant’s too.  Now let us drink!  Maitre Tobie, your health!”