were not _comme il faut_ at Orsieres.

"The kid will be asleep still, I'll bet," I said to myself; but looking
out of the window at that moment, I saw him in conversation with
Joseph, Innocentina, and--apparently--half the inhabitants of the
village.

I hurried down, and learned that the bag--still a lost bag--had set
all Orsieres on fire with excitement. The searchers had returned
empty-handed, having gone back as far as the Cantine de Proz; and on
the oath of Innocentina (more than one, alas!), the _ruecksack_ and its
contents had been secure on the grey back of Souris when we passed the
Cantine. Desolate as was the Great St. Bernard at night, late as had
been the hour when the bag vanished, evidently someone had found and
gone off with it. Nevertheless, many young persons of both sexes were
eager to try their luck in a second quest.

The Boy, who had been up for hours, had it in mind to wait at Orsieres
until his treasure should be found, or hope abandoned; but I suggested
going on at once to Martigny. There, we could have handbills printed,
offering a large reward, and these could be distributed over the
country. The diligence drivers would help in the work, and we could
also advertise in a local paper. To this proposal the Little Pal
consented; and we started off again upon our way, a sadder if not a
wiser party.

It was late afternoon when we straggled into Martigny. Now, our far
away Alpine Rome with its crumbling towers and castles, our remote
heights where a grey monastery was ever mirrored in the blue eye of
the mountain lake, seemed like phases of a dream.

Friends of the Boy's (nameless to me, like all links with his outside
life) had stopped lately at the hotel where Molly, Jack, and I had
stayed; he therefore proposed to go to the same house, and this jumped
with my inclination: for the hotel had a cheerful and home-like
individuality which I liked.

Pitying the Little Pal's distress, though I chaffed him for it, I
undertook the business of getting out the handbills I had suggested,
and arranging for an advertisement in a paper with a local
circulation. I had to visit the post-office, engaging in a long
discussion with the officials who controlled the diligence, and the
business occupied more than an hour. In mercy to Boy, I had not
delayed for any selfish attention to personal comfort, and tramping
back through an inch of white dust to the hotel, I was still as
travel-worn as on our arrival in th