f the
mountains. The road they were following scarcely deserved the name;
being a pack-road, or mere bridle-path; and so sleep was the ascent,
that it was necessary to zigzag nearly a dozen times, before the summit
of the ridge could be attained.

While entering upon this path, and near the base of the ridge, they had
noticed the forms of men far above them, moving about the summit, as if
engaged in some work. Their guide told them that these men were
faggot-cutters, whose business was to procure firewood for the towns in
the valley.

There was nothing in this bit of information to produce astonishment.
What _did_ astonish our travellers, however, was the mode in which these
men transported their firewood down the mountain, of which, shortly
after, they were treated to an exhibition. As they were zigzagging up
the mountain-path, their ears were all at once saluted by a noise that
resembled a crashing of stones, mingled with a crackling of sticks. The
noise appeared to proceed from above; and, on looking up, they beheld a
number of dark objects coming in full rush down the declivity. These
objects were of rounded form--in fact, they were bundles of faggots--and
so rapidly did they roll over, and make way down the mountain, that had
our travellers chanced to be in their track, they might have found some
difficulty in getting out of the way. Such was their reflection at the
moment; and they were even thanking their stars that they had escaped
the danger, when all at once a fresh avalanche of faggots was launched
from above; and these were evidently bounding straight towards the
party! It was impossible to tell which way to go--whether to rush
forward or draw back: for what with the inequality of the mountain-side,
and the irregular rolling of the bundles, they could not tell the exact
direction they would take. All therefore drew up, and waited the result
in silent apprehension. Of course they had not long to wait--scarce a
second--for the huge bundles bounding on, each moment with increased
impetus, came down with the suddenness of a thunderclap; and before the
words "Jack Robinson" could have been pronounced, they went whizzing
past with the velocity of aerolites, and with such a force, that had one
of them struck either mule or pony it would have hurled both the
quadruped and its rider to the bottom of the mountain. It was only
their good fortune that saved them: for in such a place it would have
been imposs