when Rollo and Mr. George, having finished
their dinner, came out into the yard of the inn for the purpose of
setting out for the ascent of the mountain.

"Well, Rollo," said Mr. George, "now for a a scramble."

Thus far the road which the young gentlemen had travelled since leaving
Interlachen had been quite level and smooth, its course having been
along the bottom of the valley, which was itself quite level, though
shut in on both sides by precipitous mountains. Now they were to leave
the valley and ascend one of these mountain sides by means of certain
zigzag paths which had been made with great labor upon them, to enable
the peasants to ascend and descend in going to and from their hamlets
and pasturages.

The paths, though very steep and very torturous, are smooth enough for
horses to go up, though the peasants themselves very seldom use horses.
A horse would eat as much grass, perhaps, as two cows. They prefer,
therefore, to have the cows, and do without the horse. And so every
thing which they wish to transport up and down the mountain they carry
on their backs.

There were various other guides in the yard of the inn besides Henry:
some were preparing apparently for the ascent of the mountain with other
parties; others were bringing up carriages for people who were going to
return to Interlachen. Henry, when he saw Mr. George and Rollo coming
out, asked them if they were ready.

"Yes," said Mr. George. "Bring the horse. You shall ride first, Rollo."

Mr. George was to have but one horse for himself and Rollo, and they
were to ride it by turns. He thought that both he himself and Rollo
would be able to walk half way up the mountain, and, by having one horse
between them, each could ride half the way.

Besides, it is less fatiguing, when you have a long and steep ascent to
make, to walk some portion of the way rather than to be on horseback all
the time.

There was another consideration which influenced Mr. George. Every
additional horse which should be required for the excursion would cost
about two dollars a day, including the guide to take care of him; and,
as Mr. George expected to spend at least two days on the excursion, it
would cost four dollars more to take two horses than to take only one.

"And I think," said Mr. George to Rollo, after having made this
calculation, "we had better save that money, and have it to buy
beautiful colored engravings of Swiss scenery with when we get to
Geneva."