ROLLO A COURIER.
Rollo came in one morning to the hotel at Meyringen, after having been
taking a walk on the banks of a mighty torrent that flows through the
valley, and found his uncle George studying the guide book and map, with
an appearance of perplexity. Mr. George was seated at a table on a
balcony, which opened from the dining room of the inn. This balcony was
very large, and rooms opened from it in various directions. There were
several tables here, with seats around them, where those who chose to do
so could take their breakfast or their dinner in the open air, and enjoy
the views of the surrounding mountains and waterfalls at the same time.
Mr. George was seated at one of these tables, with his map and his guide
book before him.
"Well, uncle George," said Rollo, "are you planning our journey?"
"Yes," said Mr. George; "and I am very much perplexed."
"Why, what is the difficulty?" asked Rollo.
"There is no possibility of getting out of this valley," said Mr.
George, "except by going all the way back to Thun,--and that I am not
willing to do."
"Is there no _possible_ way?" asked Rollo.
"No," said Mr. George, "unless we go over the Brunig Pass on foot."
"Well," said Rollo, "let us do that."
"We might possibly do that," continued Mr. George, still looking
intently at his map. "We should have to go over the Brunig to Lungern on
foot, with a horse for our baggage. Then we should have to take a car
from Lungern down the valleys to the shore of Lake Lucerne, and there
get a boat, for six or eight miles, on the lake to the town."
"Well," said Rollo, joyfully, "I should like that."
Rollo liked the idea of making the journey in the way that his uncle
George had described, on account of the numerous changes which would be
necessary in it, in respect to the modes of conveyance. It was for this
very reason that his uncle did _not_ like it.
"Yes, uncle George," said Rollo, again. "That will be an excellent way
to go to Lucerne. Don't you think it will?"
"No," said Mr. George. "It will be so much trouble. We shall have three
different arrangements to make for conveyance, in one day."
"No matter for that, uncle George," said Rollo. "I will do all that. Let
me be the courier, uncle George, and I'll take you from here to Lucerne
without your having the least trouble. I will make all the arrangements,
so that you shall have nothing to do. You may read, if you choose, the
whole of the way."
"How will you find out what to do?" asked Mr. George.
"O, I'll study the guide book carefully," replied Rollo; "and, besides,
I'll inquire of the landlord here."
"Well," said Mr. George, hesitatingly, "I have a great mind to try it."
"Only you must pay me," said Rollo. "I can't be courier without being
paid."
"How much must I pay?" asked Mr. George.
"Why, about a quarter of a dollar," replied Rollo.
"It is worth more than that," said Mr. George. "I will give you half a
dollar if you make all the arrangements and get me safe to Lucerne
without my having any care or trouble. But then if you get into
difficulty in any case, and have to appeal to me, you lose your whole
pay. If you carry me through, I give you half a dollar. If you don't
really carry me through, you have nothing."
Rollo agreed to these conditions, and Mr. George proceeded to shut up
the map and the guide book, and to put them in his hands.
"I will sit down here now," said Rollo, "and study the map and the guide
book until I have learned all I can from them, and then I will go and
talk with the landlord."
Mr. George did not make any reply to this remark, but taking out a small
portfolio, containing writing materials, from his pocket, he set himself
at work writing some letters; having, apparently, dismissed the whole
subject of the mode of crossing the Brunig entirely from his mind.
Rollo took his seat at a table on the balcony in a corner opposite to
the place where his uncle was writing, and spread out the map before
him. His seat commanded a very extended and magnificent view. In the
foreground were the green fields, the gardens, and the orchards of the
lower valley. Beyond, green pasturages were seen extending over the
lower declivities of the mountains, with hamlets perched here and there
upon the shelving rocks, and winding and zigzag roads ascending from one
elevation to another, while here and there prodigious cataracts and
cascades were to be seen, falling down hundreds of feet, over
perpendicular precipices, or issuing from frightful chasms. Rollo
stopped occasionally to gaze upon these scenes; and sometimes he would
pause to put a spy glass to his eye, in order to watch the progress of
the parties of travellers that were to be seen, from time to time,
coming down along a winding path which descended the face of the
mountain about two or three miles distant, across the valley. With the
exception of these brief interruptions, Rollo continued very steadily at
his work; and in about half an hour he shut up the map, and put it in
its case, saying, in a tone of great apparent satisfaction,--
"There! I understand it now perfectly."
He was in hopes that his uncle would have asked him some questions about
the route, in order that he might show how fully he had made himself
acquainted with it; but Mr. George said nothing, and so Rollo went away
to find the landlord.
* * * * *
That night, just before bed time, Mr. George asked Rollo what time he
was going to set out the next morning.
"Immediately after breakfast," said Rollo.
"Are we going to ride or walk?" asked Mr. George.
"We are going to walk over the pass," said Rollo. "The road is too steep
and rocky for horses. But then we are going to have a horse to carry the
trunk."
"Can you put our trunk on a horse?" asked Mr. George.
"Yes," replied Rollo, "the guide says he can."
"Very well," said Mr. George, "and just as soon as we get through
breakfast I am going to walk on, and leave you to pack the trunk on the
horse, and come along when you are ready."
"Well," said Rollo, "you can do that."
"Because, you see," continued Mr. George, "you will probably have
various difficulties and delays in getting packed and ready, and I don't
want to have any thing to do with it. I wish to have my mind entirely
free, so as to enjoy the walk and the scenery without any care or
responsibility whatever."
Sometimes, when fathers or uncles employ boys to do any work, or to
assume any charge, they stand by and help them all the time, so that the
real labor and responsibility do not come on the boy after all. He gets
paid for the work, and he _imagines_ that he does it--his father or his
uncle allowing him to imagine so, for the sake of pleasing him. But
there was no such child's play as this between Mr. George and Rollo.
When Rollo proposed to undertake any duty, Mr. George always considered
well, in the first instance, whether it was a duty that he was really
competent to perform. If it was not, he would not allow him to undertake
it. If it was, he left him to bear the whole burden and responsibility
of it, entirely alone.
Rollo understood this perfectly well, and he liked such a mode of
management. He was, accordingly, not at all surprised to hear his uncle
George propose to leave him to make all the arrangements of the journey
alone.
"You see," said Mr. George, "when I hire a courier I expect him to take
all the care of the journey entirely off my mind, and leave me to
myself, so that I can have a real good time."
"Yes," said Rollo, "that is right."
And here, perhaps, I ought to explain that what is called a courier, in
the vocabulary of tourists in Europe, is a _travelling servant_, who,
when he is employed by any party, takes the whole charge of their
affairs, and makes all necessary arrangements, so that they can travel
without any care or concern. He engages the conveyances and guides,
selects the inns, pays the bills, takes charge of the baggage, and does
every thing, in short, that is necessary to secure the comfort and
safety of the party on their journey, and to protect them from every
species of trouble and annoyance. He has himself often before travelled
over the countries through which he is to conduct his party, so that he
is perfectly familiar with them in every part, and he knows all the
languages that it is necessary to speak in them. Thus when once under
the charge of such a guide, a gentleman journeying in Europe, even if he
has his whole family with him, need have no care or concern, but may be
as quiet and as much at his ease, all the time, as if he were riding
about his own native town in his private carriage.
The next morning, after breakfast, Mr. George rose from the table, and
prepared to set out on his journey. He put the belt of his knapsack over
his shoulder, and took his alpenstock in his hand.
"Good by, Rollo," said he. "I will walk on, taking the road to the
Brunig, and you can come when you get ready. You will overtake me in the
course of half an hour, or an hour."
Rollo accompanied Mr. George to the door, and then wishing him a
pleasant walk, bade him good by.
In a few minutes the guide came around the corner of the house, from the
inn yard, leading the horse. He stopped to water the horse at a
fountain in the street, and then led him to the door. In the mean time
the porter of the inn had brought down the trunk, and then the guide
proceeded to fasten it upon the saddle of the horse, by means of two
strong straps. The saddle was what is called a pack saddle, and was made
expressly to receive such burdens.
After having placed the trunk and secured it firmly, the guide put on
the umbrella, and Mr. George's and Rollo's greatcoats, and also Rollo's
knapsack. These things made quite a pile on the horse's back. The burden
was increased, too, by several things belonging to the guide himself,
which he put on over all the rest, such as a great-coat and a little bag
of provisions.
At length, when all was ready, Rollo bade the innkeeper good by, and set
out on his journey. The guide went first, driving the horse before him,
and Rollo followed, with his alpenstock in his hand.
They soon passed out of the village, and then travelled along a very
pleasant road, which skirted the foot of the mountain range,--all the
time gradually ascending. Rollo looked out well before him, whenever he
came to a straight part of the road, in hopes of seeing his uncle; but
Mr. George was nowhere in view.
Presently he came to a place where there was a gate, and a branch path,
turning off from the main road, directly towards the mountain. Here
Rollo, quite to his relief and gratification, found his uncle. Mr.
George was sitting on a stone by the side of the road, reading.
He shut his book when he saw Rollo and the guide, and put it away in his
knapsack. At the same time he rose from his seat, saying,--
"Well, Rollo, which is the way?"
"I don't know," said Rollo.
The guide, however, settled the question by taking hold of the horse's
bridle, and leading him off into the side path. The two travellers
followed him.
The path led through a very romantic and beautiful scene of fields,
gardens, and groves, among the trees of which were here and there seen
glimpses of magnificent precipices and mountains rising very near, a
little beyond them. After following this path a few steps, two girls
came running out from a cottage. One of them had a board under her arm.
The other had nothing. They both glanced at the travellers, as they
passed, and then ran forward along the road before them.
"What do you suppose those girls are going to do?" asked Rollo.
"I can't conceive," replied Mr. George. "Some thing for us to pay for,
I'll engage."
"And shall you pay them?" asked Rollo.
"No," said Mr. George. "_I_ shall not pay them. I shall leave all such
business to my courier."
The purpose with which the two girls had come out was soon made to
appear; for after running along before the party of travellers for about
a quarter of a mile, they came to a place where two shallow but rather
broad brooks flowed across the pathway. When Rollo and Mr. George came
up to the place they found that the girls had placed boards over these
streams of water for bridges. One of the boards was the one which the
girl had brought along with her, under her arm. The other girl, it
seems, kept her board under the bushes near the place, because it was
too heavy to carry back and forth to the house. It was their custom to
watch for travellers coming along the path, and then to run on before
them and lay these bridges over the brooks,--expecting, of course, to be
paid for it. Rollo gave them each a small piece of money, and then he
and Mr. George went on.
Soon the road began to ascend the side of the mountain in long zigzags
and windings. These windings presented new views of the valley below at
every turn, each successive picture being more extended and grand than
the preceding.
At length, after ascending some thousands of feet, the party came to a
resting-place, consisting of a seat in a sort of bower, which had been
built for the accommodation of travellers, at a turn of the road where
there was an uncommonly magnificent view. Here they stopped to rest,
while the guide, leading the horse to a spring at the road side, in
order that he might have a drink, sat down himself on a flat stone
beside him.
"How far is it that we have got to walk?" asked Mr. George.
Rollo looked at his watch, and then said, "We have got to walk about
three hours more."
"And what shall we come to then?" asked Mr. George.
"We shall come down on the other side of the mountain," said Rollo, "to
a little village called Lungern, where there is a good road; and there I
am going to hire a carriage, and a man to drive us to the lake. It is a
beautiful country that we are going through, and the road leads along
the shores of mountain lakes. The first lake is up very high among the
mountains. The next is a great deal lower down, and we have to go down a
long way by a zigzag road, till we get to it. Then we go along the shore
of this second lake, through several towns, and at last we come to the
landing on the Lake of Lucerne. There I shall hire a boat."
"What kind of a boat?" asked Mr. George.
"I don't know," said Rollo.
"How do you know that there will be any boat there?" asked Mr. George.
"Because the guide book says there will," replied Rollo. "They always
have boats there to take people that come along this road to Lucerne."
"Why do they not go all the way by land?" asked Mr. George.
"Because," said Rollo, "the whole country there is so full of mountains
that there is no place for a road."
Just at this time the guide got up from his seat, and seemed ready to
set out upon his journey; and so Mr. George and Rollo rose and went on.
After ascending about an hour more, through a series of very wild and
romantic glens, with cottages and curious-looking chalets scattered here
and there along the borders of them, wherever the ground was smooth and
green enough for cattle to feed, our travellers came, at length, to the
summit of the pass, where, in a very pleasant and sheltered spot,
surrounded with forest trees, there stood a little inn. On arriving at
this place the guide proceeded to take off the load from the horse and
to place it upon a sort of frame, such as is used in those countries for
burdens which are to be carried on the back of a man.
"What is he going to do?" asked Mr. George.
"He is going to carry the baggage the rest of the way himself," said
Rollo. "You see it is so steep and rocky from here down to Lungern that
it is dreadful hard work to get a horse down and up again; especially
_up_. So the guide leaves the horse here, and is going to carry the
baggage down himself on his back. That rack that he is fastening the
trunk upon goes on his back. Those straps in front of it come over his
shoulders."
"It seems to me," said Mr. George, "that that is a monstrous heavy load
to put on a man's back, to go down a place which is so steep and rocky
that a horse could not get along over it. But then I suppose my courier
knows what he is about."
So Mr. George, with an air and manner which seemed to say, It is none of
my concern, walked up a flight of steps which led to a sort of elevated
porch or platform before the door of the inn.
For a moment Rollo himself was a little disconcerted, not knowing
whether it would be safe for a man to go down a steep declivity with
such a burden on his back; but when he reflected that this was the
arrangement that the guide himself had proposed, and that the guide had,
doubtless, done the same thing a hundred times before, he ceased to feel
any uneasiness, and following Mr. George up the steps, he took a seat by
his side, at a little table, which was placed there for the
accommodation of travellers stopping at the inn to rest.
Rollo and his uncle spent half an hour at this hotel. For refreshment
they had some very excellent and rich Alpine milk, which they drank from
very tall and curiously-shaped tumblers. They also amused themselves in
looking at some specimens of carved work, such as models of Swiss
cottages--and figures of shepherds, and milkmaids with loads of utensils
on their backs--and groups of huntsmen, with dogs leaping up around
them--and chamois, or goats, climbing about among the rocks and
mountains. Rollo had bought a pretty good supply of such sculptures
before; but there was one specimen here that struck his fancy so much
that he could not resist the temptation of adding it to his collection,
especially as Mr. George approved of his making the purchase. It was a
model of what is called a chalet,[15] which is a sort of hut that the
shepherds occupy in the upper pasturages, in the summer, where they go
to tend the cows, and to make butter and cheese. The little chalet was
made in such a manner that the roof would lift up like a lid, and let
you see all there was within. There was a row of cows, with little
calves by them, in stalls on one side of the chalet, and on the other
side tables and benches, with pans of milk and tubs upon them, and a
churn, and a cheese press, and other such like things. There was a bed,
too, for the shepherd, in a sort of a garret above, just big enough to
hold it.
In about half an hour the guide seemed ready to proceed, and the whole
party set out again on their journey. The guide went before, with the
trunk and all the other baggage piled up on the rack behind him. He had
a stout staff in his hand, which he used to prevent himself from
falling, in going down the steep and rocky places. Some of these places
were very steep and rocky indeed--so much so that going down them was a
work of climbing rather than walking, and Rollo himself was sometimes
almost afraid. What made these places the more frightful was, that the
path in descending them was often exceedingly narrow, and was bordered,
on one side, by a perpendicular wall of rock, and by an unfathomable
abyss of rocks and roaring cataracts on the other. To behold the skill
and dexterity with which the guide let himself down, from rock to rock,
in this dreadful defile, loaded as he was, excited both in Mr. George
and Rollo a continual sentiment of wonder.
At length the steepest part of the descent was accomplished, and then
the road led, for a mile, through a green and pretty valley, with lofty
rocks and mountains on either hand, and chalets and pretty cottages at
various distances along the roadside. At one place, in a very romantic
and delightful spot, they came to a small chapel. It had been built
there to commemorate some remarkable event, and to afford a
resting-place for travellers. The door of this chapel was fastened, but
Rollo could look in through a window and see the altar, and the
crucifix, and the tall candles, within. He and Mr. George sat down, too,
on the stone step of the chapel for a little while, to rest, and to
enjoy the view. While they were there another traveller came by,
ascending from Lungern, and he stopped to rest there too. He was lame,
and seemed to be poor. He had a pack on his back. Mr. George talked with
this man in French while they sat together on the steps of the chapel,
and when he went away Mr. George gave him a little money.
After leaving the chapel the travellers continued their descent, the
valley opening before them more and more as they proceeded, until, at
length, the village of Lungern came in sight, far below them, at the
head of a little lake.
"There!" said Rollo, as soon as the village came in sight. "That is
Lungern. That is the place where the carriage road begins."
"I am glad of that," said Mr. George. "A ride in a carriage will be very
pleasant after all this scrambling over the mountains--that is, provided
you get a good carriage."
When, at length, the party reached the inn, the guide set down his load
on a bench at the door of it, and, smiling, seemed quite pleased to be
rid of the heavy burden.
"Are we going to take dinner here?" said Mr. George to Rollo.
"No, sir," said Rollo. "At least, I don't know. We'll see."
The landlord of the inn met the travellers at the door, and conducted
them up a flight of stone stairs, and thence into a room where several
tables were set, and different parties of travellers were taking
refreshments. The landlord, after showing them into this room, went down
stairs again to attend to other travellers. Mr. George and Rollo walked
into the room. After looking about the room a moment, however, Rollo
said he must go down and see about a carriage.
"Wait here a few minutes, uncle George," said he, "while I go and engage
a carriage, and then I will come back."
So saying, Rollo went away, and Mr. George took his seat by a window.
Presently the waiter came to Mr. George, and asked him, in French, if he
wished for any refreshment.
"I don't know," said Mr. George. "I will wait till the boy comes back,
and then we'll see."
In a short time Rollo came back.
"The carriage will be ready in twenty minutes," said he.
"Very well," said Mr. George. "And the waiter wants to know whether we
are going to have any thing to eat."
"Yes," said Rollo, "we are going to have a luncheon."
Rollo then went to the waiter, and said, in French, "Bread, butter,
coffee, and strawberries, for two." "Very well, sir," said the waiter,
and he immediately went away to prepare what Rollo had ordered.
In due time the refreshment was ready, and Mr. George and Rollo sat down
to the table, with great appetites. Every thing was very nice. The
strawberries, in particular, though very small in size, as the Alpine
strawberries always are, were very abundant in quantity, and delicious
in flavor. There was also plenty of rich cream to eat them with. When,
at length, the travellers had finished eating their luncheon, the
landlord came to say that the carriage was ready. So Rollo paid the
bill, and then he and Mr. George went down to the door. Here they found
a very pretty chaise, with a seat in front for the driver, all ready for
them. The trunk and all the other baggage were strapped securely on
behind. Mr. George and Rollo got in. The top of the chaise was down, so
that the view was unobstructed on every side.
"Well," said Rollo, "do you think it _is_ a good carriage?"
"A most excellent one," said Mr. George. "We shall have a delightful
ride, I am sure."
Mr. George was not disappointed in his anticipations of a delightful
ride. The day was very pleasant, and the scenery of the country through
which they had to pass was as romantic and beautiful as could be
imagined. The road descended rapidly, from valley to valley, sometimes
by sharp zigzags, and sometimes by long and graceful meanderings,
presenting at every turn some new and charming view. There were green
valleys, and shady dells, and foaming cascades, and dense forests, and
glassy lakes, and towering above the whole, on either side, were vast
mountain slopes, covered with forests, and ranges of precipitous rocks,
their summits shooting upward, in pinnacles, to the very clouds.
After journeying on in this manner for some hours the carriage arrived
at an inn on the shores of the Lake of Lucerne. There was a landing
there, and a number of boats, drawn up near a little pier.
"Yes," exclaimed Rollo, when he saw the boats, "this is the place. The
name of it is Alpnach. We are to go the rest of the way by water."
"That will be very pleasant," said Mr. George, as he got out of the
carriage. "I shall like a row on the lake very much. I will go directly
down to the landing, and you can come when you get ready."
So Mr. George walked on down to the pier, leaving Rollo to perform his
duties as a courier, according to his own discretion.
Rollo first paid the driver of the carriage what was due to him,
according to the agreement that he had made with the Lungern landlord,
and then explained to the Alpnach landlord, in as good French as he
could command, that he wanted a boat, to take him and the gentleman who
was travelling with him to Lucerne, and asked what the price would be.
The landlord named the regular price, and Rollo engaged the boat. The
landlord then sent for a boatman. In a few minutes the boatman was seen
coming. He was followed by two rather pretty-looking peasant girls, each
bringing an oar on her shoulder. These two girls were the boatman's
daughters. They were going with their father in the boat, to help him
row.
The boatman took up the trunk, and the girls the other parcels of
baggage, and so carried the whole, together with the oars, down to the
boat. Rollo followed them, and the whole party immediately embarked. It
was a bright and sunny day, though there were some dark and heavy clouds
in the western sky. The water of the lake was very smooth, and it
reflected the mountains and the skies in a very beautiful manner. Mr.
George and Rollo took their seats in the boat, under an awning that was
spread over a frame in the central portion of it. This awning sheltered
them from the sun, while it did not intercept their view. The man and
the girls took each of them an oar, standing up, however, to row, and
_pushing_ the oar before them, instead of _pulling_ it, according to
our fashion.[16] Thus they commenced the voyage.
Every thing went on very pleasantly for an hour, only, as the boatman
and his daughters could speak no language but German, Mr. George and
Rollo could have no conversation with them. But they could talk with
each other, and they had a very pleasant time. At length, however, the
clouds which had appeared in the western sky rose higher and higher, and
grew blacker and blacker, and, finally, low, rumbling peals of thunder
began to be heard. The boatman talked with his daughters, pointing to
the clouds, and then said something to Mr. George in German; but neither
Mr. George nor Rollo could understand it. They soon found, however, that
the boat was turned towards the shore. They were very glad of this, for
Rollo said that he had read in the guide book that the Swiss lakes were
subject to very violent tempests, such as it would be quite dangerous to
encounter far from the shore. Rollo said, moreover, that the boatmen
were very vigilant in watching for the approach of these storms, and
that they would always at once make the best of their way to the land
whenever they saw one coming on.
In this instance the wind began to blow, and the rain to fall, before
the boat reached the shore. Rollo and Mr. George were sheltered by the
awning, but the boatman and the two girls got very wet. They, however,
continued to work hard at the oars, and at length they reached the
shore. The place where they landed was in a cove formed by a point of
land, where there was a little inn near the water. As soon as the boat
reached the shore Mr. George and Rollo leaped out of it, and spreading
their umbrella they ran up to the inn.
They waited here nearly an hour. They sat on a piazza in front of the
inn, listening to the sound of the thunder and of the wind, and watching
the drops of rain falling on the water. At length the wind subsided, the
rain gradually ceased, and the sun came out bright and beaming as ever.
The party then got into the boat, and the boatman pushed off from the
shore; and in an hour more they all landed safely on the quay at
Lucerne, very near to a magnificent hotel.
Our two travellers were soon comfortably seated at a table in the dining
room of the hotel before an excellent dinner, which Rollo had ordered.
Mr. George told Rollo, as they took their seats at the table, that he
had performed his duty as a courier in a very satisfactory manner, and
had fully earned his pay.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 15: Pronounced _shallay_.]
[Footnote 16: The Swiss always stand up in rowing, and _push_ the oar.
Thus they look the way they are going.]