the chalet-hotel far
away upon the summit of the mountain?

The Boy and I were ahead now, I sheltering him slightly from the cold
blast with my body, as I walked before him. Presently the way turned
abruptly, to zig-zag up a gap in the rock face, and I shouted a
warning to Joseph to look after Innocentina and the animals, so steep
and ruinous was the path. But I need not have been alarmed. A backward
glance showed me that Joseph had anticipated my instructions, so far
as Innocentina was concerned.

Not a word of complaint came from the Boy; indeed, it would have been
difficult for him to utter it, even if he would, with the wind rudely
pressing its seal upon his lips. But I held out a hand to him, and
though he rebelled at first, an instant's silent tussle made me master
of his, so that I could pull him up with little effort on his part.

In the deep gullies and hollows of this chasm below the Col, the wind
had us at its mercy, and forced our breath down our throats. We were
in deep shadow, though the sun should have been not far past the
zenith, and looking up to learn the reason, we saw that a huge bank of
woolly mist hung grey and heavy between us and the sky. Below--far,
far below--we had a glimpse of the world we had left still bathed in
September sunshine, warm and beautiful, with cloud-shadows flying over
low grass mountains and distant lakes. Then we seemed to knock our
heads against a dull grey ceiling, which noiselessly crumbled round
us, and we were in the mist.

No longer was it a ceiling, but a sea in which we swam; a sea so cold
that a shiver crept through our bones into our marrow. We had escaped
the clutches of the wind, to drown in fog, and in five minutes I had
beside me a small, ghostly form with frosted hair, and a white rime on
his jacket. The Boy was like a figure on a great iced cake, for the
ground was whitened too.

Luckily, the ascent was over, and we were on grassy, undulating land
where stunted trees stood here and there like pointing wraiths in the
misty gloom. Dimly I could see, now and then, a daub of paint, red as
a splash of blood, on a dark boulder, to guide travellers towards the
summit hotel. Had it not been for these, it would have been impossible
to find the way, or keep it if found.

We could walk side by side here, and looking down at the Boy, I could
see that he was shivering.

"Can it be that a few hours ago the mere exertion of walking made us
so hot that we had to mo