contrived gradually to draw nearer and
nearer to the shore, though they were all the time drifting rapidly
down. At last the boat came so near that the bow was just ready to touch
the bank, and then Gerald seized the painter, and, watching his
opportunity, leaped ashore, and, running to the nearest willow, wound
the painter round it. This at once checked the motion of the bow, and
caused the stern to swing round. Gerald immediately unwound the painter,
and ran to the willow next below, where he wound it round again, and
there succeeded at last in making it fast, and stopping the motion of
the boat altogether. Rollo and the Swiss boy then made their escape safe
to land.

"There!" said Rollo, taking at the same time a high jump, to express his
exultation; "there! Here we are safe, and who cares?"

"Ah!" said Gerald, calmly; "it is very easy to say Who cares? now that
we have got safe to land; but you'll find me looking out sharp not to
get sucked into those ripples again."

So the boys went home. Gerald found a man to go down and bring back the
boat, while Rollo proceeded to the hotel, to report the affair to his
father and mother. Mrs. Holiday was very much alarmed, but Mr. Holiday
seemed to take the matter quite coolly. He said he thought that Rollo
was now, for all the rest of his life, in much less danger of being
drowned by getting carried down rapids in a river than he was before.

"He understands the subject now somewhat practically," said Mr. Holiday.

The term of Mr. Holiday's visit had now expired, and the arrangements
were to be made for leaving town, with a view of returning again to
Paris. Rollo, however, was very desirous that before going back to Paris
they should make at least a short excursion among the mountains.

"Where shall we go?" said his father.

"To the valley of Chamouni," said Rollo. "They say that that is the
prettiest place in all Switzerland."

"How long will it take us to go?" asked Mr. Holiday.

"We can go in a day," said Rollo. "There are plenty of diligences. The
offices of them are here all along the quay.

"Or, if you don't choose to go so far in a day," continued Rollo, "you
can go in half a day to the entrance of the valley, where there is a
good place to stop, and then we can go to Chamouni the next day. I have
studied it all out in the guide book."

"Very well," said Mr. Holiday. "It seems that we can get into the valley
of Chamouni very easily; and now how is it about g