icouldnottell;yetiknewicouldnotaltermyowncondition,eitherbybarkingorgrowling.

thiswasajola'sfarewellspeech,andrudythrewhisarmsroundthedog'sneckandkissedhiscoldnose.thenhetookthecatinhisarms,buthestruggledtogetfree.

"youaregettingtoostrongforme,"hesaid;"butiwillnotusemyclawsagainstyou.clamberawayoverthemountains;itwasiwhotaughtyoutoclimb.donotfancyyouaregoingtofall,andyouwillbequitesafe."thenthecatjumpeddownandranaway;hedidnotwishrudytoseethatthereweretearsinhiseyes.

thehenswerehoppingaboutthefloor;oneofthemhadnotail;atraveller,whofanciedhimselfasportsman,hadshotoffhertail,hehadmistakenherforabirdofprey.

"rudyisgoingawayoverthemountains,"saidoneofthehens.

"heisalwaysinsuchahurry,"saidtheother;"andidon'tliketakingleave,"sotheybothhoppedout.

butthegoatssaidfarewell;theybleatedandwantedtogowithhim,theyweresoverysorry.

justatthistimetwocleverguidesweregoingtocrossthemountainstotheothersideofthegemmi,andrudywastogowiththemonfoot.itwasalongwalkforsuchalittleboy,buthehadplentyofstrengthandinvinciblecourage.theswallowsflewwithhimalittleway,singing,"weandyou-youandwe."thewayledacrosstherushinglutschine,whichfallsinnumerousstreamsfromthedarkcleftsofthegrindelwaldglaciers.trunksoffallentreesandblocksofstoneformbridgesoverthesestreams.afterpassingaforestofalders,theybegantoascend,passingbysomeblocksoficethathadloosenedthemselvesfromthesideofthemountainandlayacrosstheirpath;theyhadtostepovertheseice-blocksorwalkroundthem.rudycrepthereandranthere,hiseyessparklingwithjoy,andhesteppedsofirmlywithhisiron-tippedmountainshoe,thatheleftamarkbehindhimwhereverheplacedhisfoot.

theearthwasblackwherethemountaintorrentsorthemeltedicehadpoureduponit,butthebluishgreen,glassyicesparkledandglittered.theyhadtogoroundlittlepools,likelakes,enclosedbetweenlargemassesofice;and,whilethuswanderingoutoftheirpath,theycamenearanimmensestone,whichlaybalancedontheedgeofanicypeak.thestonelostitsbalancejustastheyreachedit,androlledoverintotheabyssbeneath,whilethenoiseofitsfallwasechoedbackfromeveryhollowcliffoftheglaciers.

theywerealwaysgoingupwards.theglaciersseemedtospreadabovethemlikeacontinuedchainofmassesofice,piledupinwildconfusionbetweenbareandruggedrocks.rudythoughtforamomentofwhathadbeentoldhim,thatheandhismotherhadoncelainburiedinoneofthesecold,heart-chillingfissures;buthesoonbanishedsuchthoughts,andlookeduponthestoryasfabulous,likemanyotherstorieswhichhadbeentoldhim.onceortwice,whenthementhoughtthewaywasratherdifficultforsuchalittleboy,theyheldouttheirhandstoassisthim;buthewouldnotaccepttheirassistance,forhestoodontheslipperyiceasfirmlyasifhehadbeenachamois.theycameatlengthtorockyground;sometimessteppinguponmoss-coveredstones,sometimespassingbeneathstuntedfir-trees,andagainthroughgreenmeadows.thelandscapewasalwayschanging,buteverabovethemtoweredtheloftysnow-cladmountains,whosenamesnotonlyrudybuteveryotherchildknew-"thejungfrau,""themonkandtheeiger."

rudyhadneverbeensofarawaybefore;hehadnevertroddenonthewide-spreadingoceanofsnowthatlayherewithitsimmovablebillows,fromwhichthewindblowsoffthesnowflakenowandthen,asitcutsthefoamfromthewavesofthesea.theglaciersstandheresoclosetogetheritmightalmostbesaidtheyarehand-in-hand;andeachisacrystalpalacefortheicemaiden,whosepowerandwillitistoseizeandimprisontheunwarytraveller.

thesunshonewarmly,andthesnowsparkledasifcoveredwithglitteringdiamonds.numerousinsects,especiallybutterfliesandbees,laydeadinheapsonthesnow.theyhadventuredtoohigh,orthewindhadcarriedthemhereandleftthemtodieofcold.

aroundthewetterhornhungafeatherycloud,likeawoolbag,andathreateningcloudtoo,forasitsunkloweritincreasedinsize,andconcealedwithinwasa"fohn,"fearfulinitsviolenceshoulditbreakloose.thisjourney,withitsvariedincidents,-thewildpaths,thenightpassedonthemountain,thesteeprockyprecipices,thehollowclefts,inwhichtherustlingwatersfromtimeimmemorialhadwornawaypassagesforthemselvesthroughblocksofstone,-allthesewerefirmlyimpressedonrudy'smemory.

inaforsakenstonebuilding,whichstoodjustbeyondtheseasofsnow,theyonenighttookshelter.heretheyfoundsomecharcoalandpinebranches,sothattheysoonmadeafire.theyarrangedcouchestolieonaswellastheycould,andthenthemenseatedthemselvesbythefire,tookouttheirpipes,andbegantosmoke.theyalsopreparedawarm,spiceddrink,ofwhichtheypartookandrudywasnotforgotten-hehadhisshare.thentheybegantotalkofthosemysteriousbeingswithwhichthelandofthealpsabounds;thehostsofapparitionswhichcomeinthenight,andcarryoffthesleepersthroughtheair,tothewonderfulfloatingtownofvenice;ofthewildherds-man,whodrivestheblacksheepacrossthemeadows.theseflocksareneverseen,yetthetinkleoftheirlittlebellshasoftenbeenheard,aswellastheirunearthlybleating.rudylistenedeagerly,butwithoutfear,forheknewnotwhatfearmeant;andwhilehelistened,hefanciedhecouldheartheroaringofthespectralseemedtocomenearerandroarlouder,tillthemenhearditalsoandlistenedinsilence,till,atlength,theytoldrudythathemustnotdaretosleep.itwasa"fohn,"thatviolentstorm-windwhichrushesfromthemountaintothevalleybeneath,andinitsfurysnapsasunderthetrunksoflargetreesasiftheywerebutslenderreeds,andcarriesthewoodenhousesfromonesideofarivertotheotheraseasilyaswecouldmovethepiecesonachess-board.afteranhourhadpassed,theytoldrudythatitwasallover,andhemightgotosleep;and,fatiguedwithhislongwalk,hereadilysleptatthewordofcommand.

veryearlythefollowingmorningtheyagainsetout.thesunonthisdaylightedupforrudynewmountains,newglaciers,andnewsnow-fields.theyhadenteredthecantonvalais,andfoundthemselvesontheridgeofthehillswhichcanbeseenfromgrindelwald;buthewasstillfarfromhisnewhome.theypointedouttohimotherclefts,othermeadows,otherwoodsandrockypaths,andotherhouses.strangemenmadetheirappearancebeforehim,andwhatmen!