The Princess Passes

L

lantern, a

bliss, and

ss C

t personal d

t Wh

ng romance, this gave a certain majestic romance of its own; the romance of man's struggle to conquer the stupendous forces of Nature with his science. It was as if

at, as if I were a Lilliputian doctor examining the tongue of Giant Gulliver, I was suddenly clapped upon the shoulder. It flashed into my mind that perhaps it was forbidden to st

de hay of his room; but evidently he bore no malice, for after saying that he was not surprised to see me, as everybody came this way sooner or later, he offered to show me his tunnel, of which this was the Italian mouth. It had another at Brig, twelve miles away, and boasted the longest throat in the world, but as it was marvellously ventilated, it would never choke in its own smoke, and Bolzano was very proud of the engineering achievement. Having discharged my carriage, I went with him into a workshop, heard the humming of dynamos, and the b

ting of wooden boxes drawn by a miniature locomotive. This was my chance. I was hurried off to his quarters, helped into rough, miner's clothing, with great boots up to my knees, and given a miner's lamp. Then, join

eam seemed to last a long time; and then the train of boxes slowed down, for we had reached the danger-point, a part of the tunnel where the hidden Genii of the Mountain had planned a trap to upset all geological expectations. Having allowed the engine

; and through this cage we crept like a procession of wary mice, suddenly putting on speed

ad dropped asleep, sitting half-naked in the line of boxes which would bear them away to a spell of rest. They had fallen into pathetic at

xhaustion rumbled slowly away, the smoky lamps glinting on polished, oliv

oles filled with dynamite, and retired with the others while the fuse was lighted. I heard from afar off the thunderous detonations as the rock-face was shattered. I saw the débris being cleared away, before the drills s

es don't meet end to end

more. There is a great system of triangulation across the mountains, and every few months our reckonings are verified. By-and-bye, we shall

light dazzled my eyes. I could have shouted aloud with joy at sight of the sun. I made Bolzano breakfast with me in the little inn at Iselle, and got upon my way

n the sun, seen for a moment, then swallowed up by stealthily creeping white clouds, or caressed by them with a benediction in passing. Thin streaks of cascades on precipitous rocks made silver veinings in ebony. Side valleys opened unexpectedly, and one knew from hearsa

astily when this thought winked at me over my shoulder,-I was stunned still, by my heavy disappointment. I was not conscious to the full of my suffering now, but

ut at the new Hospice the yapping of a dozen adorable puppies in a kennel opposite lured me, and I paused to talk to them. They did not understand my language, and this was disappointing; but if I had not stopped I should have missed a short cut which I half saw, half suspected, dimly zigzagging down the mountain into an extraordinarily deep valley,

anish onion. A beautiful Renaissance gallery, flung across from one tall building to another, lent grace to the otherwise too solid pile, and I guessed that I must have come upon the ancient stronghold and mansion of the famous Stockalper family, still existing and still one of the most important in Switzerland. In the Pass I had seen the towe

bells were ringing, whips were cracking; in the central place there were crowding shops,

ntured to show my travel-stained person in the hall, I was gr

ct you for an hour. We've lots to tell you, and oh, I've bought you a sweet revolver, which you are always to

the eyes of the law; then Molly must have seen in mine that there was a question which

l day," she said. "I've had a kind of employment agency for

s there?" I cut int

m for a long trip; or else they're too young; or else they're too old; or else they're hideou

us, from child

ys there are dozens

re mi

t the one here, I suppose, if only as a m

it would be very pleasant being a tyrant by profession, like Him of Syracuse, for instance. You could do all the thing

and the wretched fellow was laughing. "It's not funny, at all," said I, thinking it was the situation which amused him

mind a base and depraved nature. Had there been no other of his kind on earth, I would still have refused to take this beast as my compani

he difference between the country between Brig and Martigny seen from a railway-carriage window, and seen from a motor car, t

oulders of the mountains, or rising turreted from hardy rocks bathed by the golden river; the peeps up cool lateral valleys to blue glaciers; the near green slopes and

from some excursion. The landlord was at the door to receive his guests. Jack, Molly, and I flung the same question at his head, at the same moment. Was the sit

mules and five men for a journey all a

but I thanked my stars that there seemed no fu