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CHAPTER XVIII. 



THE PBEPABATION. 



How pleasant an occupation is the arranging all for 

 the coming excursion to the mountains ! What an 

 agreeable state of excitement one is in, while muster- 

 ing the necessary things, and again running over the 

 list in your mind, to be doubly sure that nothing has 

 been forgotten. And then, too, as this or that thing 

 is brought forth from its retreat, where it has lain 

 well taken care of since last October or November, 

 what gladdening associations the sight of it calls forth, 

 and how vividly the mountain and mountain life 

 appear before you ! Ha ! there is the old rucksack 

 again stained and discoloured by the rain and the 

 dews, and by the blood of the last chamois that it 

 helped to bring down from the mountain. And there 

 are the dried, prickly leaves of the fir still among its 

 folds; and crumbs of bread, and a hard crust too, 

 reminding of the delicious yet simple meal on the 

 top of the Miesing or the Krammets Berg. What a 



