er than she, and
so it was decided that the next week, when the cows went up to the
mountain pasture, Toni should go with them.

"He shall have a good bit of money and a new suit of clothes when he comes
down. That will be a help for the winter," said the farmer finally.

Elsbeth thanked him as she said good-by, and turned homeward.

Toni was at first opposed to this, when he heard that he would be away so
long without being able to come home a single time; but his mother
explained to him how easy the work would be, that he would grow stronger
up there, so as to be able to do better things later on, and that the
Matten farmer would give him a new suit and a good bit of money as pay. So
Toni objected no longer, but said he would be glad to do something and not
let his mother work alone.

Then it occurred to Elsbeth that, if Toni was going to be away the whole
summer she could perhaps go to one of the big hotels in Interlaken where
so many strangers go for the summer. There she could earn a good sum of
money and meet the coming winter without anxiety. She was already known in
Interlaken for she had served as chambermaid in one of the hotels for
several summers before her marriage.

When the day came for the big herd of cows to be taken up to the mountain
pasture, Toni's mother gave him his little bundle and said:

"Go now, in God's name! Don't forget to pray, when the day begins, and
when it ends, and the dear Lord will not forget you, and His protection is
better than that of men."

So Toni started off with his little bundle behind the herd up the
mountain.

Immediately after this Elsbeth closed her cottage. She took the goat up to
the Matten farm. When the farmer heard that she was going to Interlaken,
he promised her to take the goat, and thought when Elsbeth came home
again, she would give twice as much milk, and what he made from her, he
would give back to Elsbeth in cheese. Then she started down to Interlaken.

The herd had already been climbing the mountain for several hours. The
herdsman turned off to the left with the big herd, and the man went with
Toni up towards the right, followed by the smaller herd, which consisted
of fewer cows but many young cattle, for not many cows could be kept on
the small mountain pasture, because the milk had to be carried across to
the big one where the herdsman's hut stood.

They now reached the highest point of the pasture. There stood a little
hut. All around there wa