hase, for, as already known,
there was a specification in the baron's letter, that allowed of this
deviation. All that was required of them was that they should not
recross a meridian when on their actual route of travel.

A ship carried them from Tornea to Dantzic. Hence they passed to
Berlin, and on through Frankfort, Stutgard, and Strasbourg, to Paris.
Paris, it is true, was a little out of their way; but what Russian could
travel across Europe without paying a visit to Paris? Pouchskin cared
little about it. The old grenadier had been there before--in 1815--when
he was far from being welcome to the Parisians; and Alexis would rather
have gone by another and more direct route, that is, through
Switzerland; but the gay Ivan would not hear of such a thing. To see
Paris he was determined; and see it he did; though what he or they did
there is not mentioned in the book of the chronicles of our young
bear-hunters.

From Paris they travelled by rail, almost directly south--though still
slightly westward--to the celebrated baths of Bagneres. Here they found
themselves not only within sight, but actually among the _foot-hills_ of
those mountains, for the tourist scarce second in interest to the Alps
themselves, but perhaps for the naturalist even more interesting than
these.

At Bagneres they made but a short stay, only long enough to recruit
their strength by bathing in its thermal springs, and to witness a
spectacle which is regarded as the grand lion of the place--the
_Palombiere_.

As you, young reader, may not have heard of the _Palombiere_, and may be
curious to know what it is, I give the account of it, which I find
recorded in the journal of Alexis.

About two miles from Bagneres rises a ridge of considerable elevation--
running parallel with the general direction of the Pyrenees, of which it
may be considered an outlying step, or "foot hill" (_pied mont_). Along
the crest of this hill stands a row of very tall trees, from which the
branches have been carefully lopped, leaving only a little bunch at the
top of each. On coming close to these trees--provided it be in the
months of September or October--you will observe a something between
them that resembles a thin gauzy veil of a greyish colour. On getting
still nearer, you will perceive that this veil is a net--or rather a
series of nets--extended from tree to tree, and filling up all the
spaces between them--from the highest point to which the branche