Some of these fell on the road, and more than once they had to quit their sleds and wait for the drivers to get them over the heaps that had been formed across their path.

Fortunately, however, none of these came near them; and Minnie Fay, who at first had screamed at intervals of about five minutes, gradually gained confidence, and at length changed her mood so completely that she laughed and clapped her little hands whenever she saw the rush of snow and ice.

Thus slowly, yet in safety, they pushed onward, and at length reached the little village of Simplon.

Here they waited an hour to warm themselves, lunch, and change horses.

At the end of that time they set out afresh, and once more they were on their winding way.
They had now the gratification of finding that they were descending the slope, and of knowing that this descent took them every minute further from the regions of snow, and nearer to the sunny plains of Italy.