luxuriant beauty, that might almost (one could fancy)

have drawn involuntary homage to its bountiful Creator

from the lips even of an infidel.

After a time Joe Blunt reined up, and they proceeded

at an easy ambling pace. Joe and his friend Henri

were so used to these beautiful scenes that they had

long ceased to be enthusiastically affected by them,

though they never ceased to delight in them.

"I hope," said Joe, "that them sodgers'll go their

ways soon. I've no notion o' them chaps when they're