gered on the borders of the snows,--or a rhododendron, for which he
had scaled a crag. His officer roughly ordered him not to leave the
track.

"If we had passed this way two or three months earlier," he said
complacently to his prisoners, "we should have found cowslips here and
there, all along the road. We have a good many cowslips in early
summer. Have you cowslips in your island?"

Toussaint smiled as he thought of the flower-strewn savannahs, where
more blossoms opened and perished in an hour than in this dreary region
all the summer through. He heard Mars Plaisir compelled to admit that
he had never seen cowslips out of France.

At length, after several mountings and dismountings of the driver and
guard, they seemed, on entering a defile, to apply themselves seriously
to their business. The guard cast a glance along the road, and up the
sides of the steeps, and beckoned to the horsemen behind to come on; and
the driver repeatedly cracked his whip. Silence settled down on the
party within the carriage; for all understood that they drew near the
fortress. In silence they wound through the defile, till all egress
seemed barred by a lofty crag. The road, however, passed round its
base, and disclosed to view a small basin among the mountains, in the
midst of which rose the steep which bore the fortress of Joux. At the
foot of this steep lay the village; a small assemblage of sordid
dwellings. At this village four roads met, from as many defiles which
opened into this centre. A mountain-stream gushed along, now by the
road-side, now winding and growing quieter among the little plot of
green fields which lay in the rear of the castle rock. This plot of
vivid green cheered, for a moment, the eye of the captives; but a second
glance showed that it was but a swamp. This swamp, crags, firs, and
snow, with the dirty village, made up the prospect. As for the
inhabitants--as the carriage stopped short of the village, none were to
be seen, but a girl with her distaff amidst a flock of goats, and some
soldiers on the castle walls above.

There appeared to be but one road up the rock--a bridle or foot road to
the right, too narrow and too steep for any carriage. Where this joined
the main road the carriage stopped; and the prisoners were desired to
alight.

"We must trouble you to walk up this hill," said the officer, "unless
you prefer to mount, and have your horse led."

Before he had finished speaking, Tou