a manoeuvre in a narrow path, he attempted to "go
about." Rollo was of course utterly unable to do any thing to control
him except to pull one of the reins to bring him back into the path, and
strike his heels into the horse's side as if he were spurring him. This,
however, only made the matter worse. The horse backed off the brink; and
both he and Rollo, falling head over heels, rolled down the steep slope
together.

[Illustration: THE FALL.]

And not together exactly, either; for Rollo who was usually pretty
alert and ready in emergencies of difficulty or danger, when he found
himself rolling down the slope, though he could not stop, still
contrived to wriggle and twist himself off to one side, so as to get
clear of the horse and roll off himself in a different direction. They
both, however, the animal and the boy, soon came to a stop. Rollo was up
in an instant. The horse, too, contrived, after some scrambling, to gain
his feet. All this time the guide remained in the path on the brink of
the descent transfixed with astonishment and consternation.

"Henry," said Rollo, looking up to the guide, "what is the French for
_head over heels_?"

A very decided but somewhat equivocal smile spread itself over Henry's
features on hearing this question, which, however, he did not
understand; and he immediately began to run down the bank to get the
horse.

"Because," said Rollo, still speaking in French, "that is what in
English we call going _head over heels_."

Henry led the horse round by a circuitous way back to the path. Rollo
followed; and as soon as they reached it Rollo mounted again. Henry then
took hold of the bridle of the horse and led him along till they got
through the snow; after which they went on without any further
difficulty.

The path led for a time along a very wild and desolate region, which
seemed to be bordered on the right, at a distance of two or three miles,
by a range of stupendous precipices, surmounted by peaks covered with
ice and snow, which presented to the view a spectacle of the most
astonishing grandeur. At one point in the path Rollo saw at a distance
before him a number of buildings scattered over a green slope of land.

"Ah," said he to the guide, "we are coming to a village."

"No," said the guide. "It is a pasturage. We are too high yet for a
village."

On asking for a further explanation, Rollo learned that the mountaineers
were accustomed to drive their herds up the mountai