going to follow me all
the time we're here."

He stopped once more.

"I say, old chap, do you want anything?"

No answer but the stolid stare.

"Don't you know that it's very rude? Bah! I might as well discuss
Euclid with old Gros. Just you wait till I've had my tub and got back
to breakfast, and if I don't set old Melchior at you I'm a Dutchman."

Fully determined to take no more notice of the man, Saxe went on to the
pool, had a comfortable wash in the sparkling water, which was
invigorating to a degree, scrubbed himself dry, and all the time battled
hard with an intense desire to throw stones at Pierre, who stood
watching every act some ten yards away.

"Thank you," said Saxe at last, as he opened a pocket-comb, and began to
use it to his wet hair: "I've quite done, thank you; but if I might give
you a bit of advice, I wouldn't wash much this morning. Do it by
degrees. If you made yourself quite clean, you might catch cold; and
besides, the cows and goats wouldn't know you. `Morgen' once more."

Saxe started to return, leaving his stolid companion behind and fully
expecting to hear him splashing in the pool; but two minutes later he
exclaimed:

"No fear of his catching cold or frightening the cows. I don't believe
he has had a wash for a month. Why, if he isn't following me again!
Well, he shall run."

It was not a very satisfactory place for running, encumbered as it was
with stones; but Saxe was as active as most lads of his age, and he
started off dodging in and out among huge blocks of granite, leaping
from smooth glacier ground rock to rock, making good speed over the
patches of level grass and whin, and sending the blood coursing through
his veins in the bright morning air; but to his intense annoyance he
found that his activity was nothing to that of the heavy, dirty-looking
being who kept up easily close to his heels, for every now and then the
man leaped from rock to rock as surely as a goat. But growing a little
out of breath, and thinking at last that it was of no use to tire
himself so soon in the morning, the boy slowly settled down into a walk
just as a loud jodel came echoing from the sheltered hollow where the
chalet stood.

"Hallo!" said Saxe, whose good humour came back at the thoughts
connected with that cry. "There's old Melk ringing the breakfast bell;"
and once more he stopped, placed his hand to the side of his mouth, and
jodelled.

"There, old chap, what do you think