Part 18 (1/2)
Rollo liked the idea of making the journey in the way that his uncle George had described, on account of the numerous changes which would be necessary in it, in respect to the modes of conveyance. It was for this very reason that his uncle did _not_ like it.
”Yes, uncle George,” said Rollo, again. ”That will be an excellent way to go to Lucerne. Don't you think it will?”
”No,” said Mr. George. ”It will be so much trouble. We shall have three different arrangements to make for conveyance, in one day.”
”No matter for that, uncle George,” said Rollo. ”I will do all that. Let me be the courier, uncle George, and I'll take you from here to Lucerne without your having the least trouble. I will make all the arrangements, so that you shall have nothing to do. You may read, if you choose, the whole of the way.”
”How will you find out what to do?” asked Mr. George.
”O, I'll study the guide book carefully,” replied Rollo; ”and, besides, I'll inquire of the landlord here.”
”Well,” said Mr. George, hesitatingly, ”I have a great mind to try it.”
”Only you must pay me,” said Rollo. ”I can't be courier without being paid.”
”How much must I pay?” asked Mr. George.
”Why, about a quarter of a dollar,” replied Rollo.
”It is worth more than that,” said Mr. George. ”I will give you half a dollar if you make all the arrangements and get me safe to Lucerne without my having any care or trouble. But then if you get into difficulty in any case, and have to appeal to me, you lose your whole pay. If you carry me through, I give you half a dollar. If you don't really carry me through, you have nothing.”
Rollo agreed to these conditions, and Mr. George proceeded to shut up the map and the guide book, and to put them in his hands.
”I will sit down here now,” said Rollo, ”and study the map and the guide book until I have learned all I can from them, and then I will go and talk with the landlord.”
Mr. George did not make any reply to this remark, but taking out a small portfolio, containing writing materials, from his pocket, he set himself at work writing some letters; having, apparently, dismissed the whole subject of the mode of crossing the Brunig entirely from his mind.
Rollo took his seat at a table on the balcony in a corner opposite to the place where his uncle was writing, and spread out the map before him. His seat commanded a very extended and magnificent view. In the foreground were the green fields, the gardens, and the orchards of the lower valley. Beyond, green pasturages were seen extending over the lower declivities of the mountains, with hamlets perched here and there upon the shelving rocks, and winding and zigzag roads ascending from one elevation to another, while here and there prodigious cataracts and cascades were to be seen, falling down hundreds of feet, over perpendicular precipices, or issuing from frightful chasms. Rollo stopped occasionally to gaze upon these scenes; and sometimes he would pause to put a spy gla.s.s to his eye, in order to watch the progress of the parties of travellers that were to be seen, from time to time, coming down along a winding path which descended the face of the mountain about two or three miles distant, across the valley. With the exception of these brief interruptions, Rollo continued very steadily at his work; and in about half an hour he shut up the map, and put it in its case, saying, in a tone of great apparent satisfaction,--
”There! I understand it now perfectly.”
He was in hopes that his uncle would have asked him some questions about the route, in order that he might show how fully he had made himself acquainted with it; but Mr. George said nothing, and so Rollo went away to find the landlord.
That night, just before bed time, Mr. George asked Rollo what time he was going to set out the next morning.
”Immediately after breakfast,” said Rollo.
”Are we going to ride or walk?” asked Mr. George.
”We are going to walk over the pa.s.s,” said Rollo. ”The road is too steep and rocky for horses. But then we are going to have a horse to carry the trunk.”
”Can you put our trunk on a horse?” asked Mr. George.
”Yes,” replied Rollo, ”the guide says he can.”
”Very well,” said Mr. George, ”and just as soon as we get through breakfast I am going to walk on, and leave you to pack the trunk on the horse, and come along when you are ready.”
”Well,” said Rollo, ”you can do that.”
”Because, you see,” continued Mr. George, ”you will probably have various difficulties and delays in getting packed and ready, and I don't want to have any thing to do with it. I wish to have my mind entirely free, so as to enjoy the walk and the scenery without any care or responsibility whatever.”