but each
stream which crossed the path,--and the whole country seemed
liquidizing,--each drinking-trough beside the way,--and to my excited
imagination they seemed to form an unbroken line,--was an irresistible
temptation. It was only by shouting, "Yeep! Yeep!" in staccato chorus,
and vigorously applying the palm branches, thus engaging his attention
and diverting his thoughts into less watery channels, that we succeeded
in making any progress whatever. Under this disciplinary process his
nature was at last so far subdued that he would have passed the ocean
itself without a sigh, I am sure.

There was a rest of an hour at the Tete Noir inn at noon, shut in by the
firs, and rocks, and mountains, then we went on to Argentiere, where we
gladly exchanged the horses and mules for some low, open carts with a
couple of villagers in blue blouses for drivers. In these we
accomplished the remaining three or four miles, and made a triumphal
entry into Chamouni.

It was late in the afternoon when we crawled up the narrow, thronged
street to the Hotel Royal, from which the English, French, and American
flags were flying. The clouds had dropped lower and lower, until a fine
mist was beginning to deepen into rain, and the guides and tourists
detained in the village fairly jostled each other at the intersection of
the two principal streets, which seemed to form the village Exchange.
The mire of the streets was thickly stamped with hoof-prints and the
marks from the nails that stud the shoe-soles of the mountain climbers.
Line after line of doleful looking objects, which might prove Egyptian
mummies when unwrapped, were being lifted from still more sorry looking
beasts before the door of the hotel, and assaying to mount the steps,
with a stiffness and angularity of movement in which we all sympathized.

Indeed, after dinner, when a bright fire was lighted in the long _salon_
where the various parties gathered to read, write, look over
stereoscopic views, or chat among themselves, it was amusing, as well as
pitiable to observe the abortive attempts at ease and flexibility as
these individuals crossed the polished floor, to hear the groans
smothered to sighs as they resumed their seats. "Mules!" whispered the
girls, nudging each other, and mindful of the delight which misery is
said to find in company.

All the next day the rain dripped down upon the village from the heavy
clouds that hid the mountains. Everybody improved the opportun