und in and around the mountains, but
always up and deep in snow. Three, four o'clock came and still no sign
of the summit, but with the road winding in and out for miles ahead. The
sky began to darken, and without warning down came the snow. Then
frequent halts of the caravan to rest the cattle. Deeper grew the snow,
and as the darkness began to settle down I realized the responsibility I
had unwittingly taken on my shoulders. I had four delicate women in my
forlorn party and found myself fast in the midst of a snowstorm, in a
wild pass of the Pyrenees. I recognized one blessing, however, and was
profoundly grateful--the air was calm--and though the snow fell thick
and fast it was not driven by a storm.

Nunn proved to be thoroughly reliable, helpful and full of cheer.
Between us we kept up the spirits of the party. But all hands began to
grow hungry. Fortunately I had in my baggage a large pate de foie gras.
That is a fat goose liver pie, and it was fat, happily so, as it went
the further. Then I got rugs and wraps out of my trunks for the women
and a couple of bottles of brandy, and administered liberal doses all
round. I soon had them happy and full of courage. It was certainly
better to have them full of Dutch courage in a fool's paradise than to
have them awake to their position, for I quite expected it would end in
a night camp-out in the snow and sending an empty cart for supplies. Two
hours after dark we came to a dead halt, and my guides--they were
beauties--said they could go no further; the oxen could not pull the
carts. There was a fonda, they said, two miles away, but did not show
any disposition to help to get there, and for that matter did not seem
to care whether we did or not. I ordered them to leave the middle cart
behind and divide the teams, one team to be added to the front cart and
one to be hitched in front of the mules. Our interpreter was one of the
Portuguese women, but we did not get on very well, the Spaniards
objecting to anything being done, all of them apparently waiting for
the Virgin or some of the saints to come to our aid; but as neither did,
Nunn and I were exasperated, and finally took the matter into our own
hands. By my orders, despite the energetic protests of the drivers, he
unhitched the oxen from the middle team, and between us we got them to
the mule cart, hitched them in front of the mules and pulled out and
past the other carts. Here the Spaniards halted us, and after an angr