.

The men who had been sent to look at the passes over the mountains
shook their heads. Then one of them said, "It may be possible, but"--

"Let me hear no more," said Napoleon. "Forward to Italy!"

People laughed at the thought of an army of sixty thousand men
crossing the Alps where there was no road. But Napoleon waited only to
see that everything was in good order, and then he gave the order to
march.

The long line of soldiers and horses and cannon stretched for twenty
miles. When they came to a steep place where there seemed to be no way
to go farther, the trum-pets sounded "Charge!" Then every man did his
best, and the whole army moved right onward.

Soon they were safe over the Alps. In four days they were marching on
the plains of Italy.

"The man who has made up his mind to win," said Napoleon, "will never
say 'Im-pos-si-ble.'"

THE STORY OF CINCINNATUS.

There was a man named Cin-cin-na'tus who lived on a little farm not
far from the city of Rome. He had once been rich, and had held the
highest office in the land; but in one way or another he had lost all
his wealth. He was now so poor that he had to do all the work on his
farm with his own hands. But in those days it was thought to be a
noble thing to till the soil.

Cin-cin-na-tus was so wise and just that every-body trusted him, and
asked his advice; and when any one was in trouble, and did not know
what to do, his neighbors would say,--

"Go and tell Cincinnatus. He will help you."

Now there lived among the mountains, not far away, a tribe of fierce,
half-wild men, who were at war with the Roman people. They per-suad-ed
another tribe of bold war-riors to help them, and then marched toward
the city, plun-der-ing and robbing as they came. They boasted that
they would tear down the walls of Rome, and burn the houses, and kill
all the men, and make slaves of the women and children.

At first the Romans, who were very proud and brave, did not think
there was much danger. Every man in Rome was a soldier, and the army
which went out to fight the robbers was the finest in the world. No
one staid at home with the women and children and boys but the
white-haired "Fathers," as they were called, who made the laws for the
city, and a small company of men who guarded the walls. Everybody
thought that it would be an easy thing to drive the men of the
mountains back to the place where they belonged.

But one morning five horsemen came riding do