"Hold fast, Rudy!" cried his uncle; "hold fast, with all yourmight."
  Then Rudy clung with his arms to the trunk of the nearest tree,while his uncle climbed above him, and held fast by the branches.The avalanche rolled past them at some distance; but the gust ofwind that followed, like the storm-wings of the avalanche, snappedasunder the trees and bushes over which it swept, as if they hadbeen but dry rushes, and threw them about in every direction. The treeto which Rudy clung was thus overthrown, and Rudy dashed to theground. The higher branches were snapped off, and carried away to agreat distance; and among these shattered branches lay Rudy's uncle,with his skull fractured. When they found him, his hand was stillwarm; but it would have been impossible to recognize his face. Rudystood by, pale and trembling; it was the first shock of his life,the first time he had ever felt fear. Late in the evening hereturned home with the fatal news,- to that home which was now to beso full of sorrow. His uncle's wife uttered not a word, nor shed atear, till the corpse was brought in; then her agony burst forth.The poor cretin crept away to his bed, and nothing was seen of himduring the whole of the following day. Towards evening, however, hecame to Rudy, and said, "Will you write a letter for me? Saperlicannot write; Saperli can only take the letters to the post."
  "A letter for you!" said Rudy; "who do you wish to write to?"
  "To the Lord Christ," he replied.
  "What do you mean?" asked Rudy.
  Then the poor idiot, as the cretin was often called, looked atRudy with a most touching expression in his eyes, clasped his hands,and said, solemnly and devoutly, "Saperli wants to send a letter toJesus Christ, to pray Him to let Saperli die, and not the master ofthe house here."
  Rudy pressed his hand, and replied, "A letter would not reachHim up above; it would not give him back whom we have lost."
  It was not, however, easy for Rudy to convince Saperli of theimpossibility of doing what he wished.
  "Now you must work for us," said his foster-mother; and Rudyvery soon became the entire support of the house.BABETTE
  IV. BABETTE
  Who was the best marksman in the canton Valais? The chamois knewwell. "Save yourselves from Rudy," they might well say. And who is thehandsomest marksman? "Oh, it is Rudy," said the maidens; but theydid not say, "Save yourselves from Rudy." Neither did anxiousmothers say so; for he bowed to them as pleasantly as to the younggirls. He was so brave and cheerful. His cheeks were brown, histeeth white, and his eyes dark and sparkling. He was now a handsomeyoung man of twenty years. The most icy water could not deter him fromswimming; he could twist and turn like a fish. None could climb likehe, and he clung as firmly to the edges of the rocks as a limpet. Hehad strong muscular power, as could be seen when he leapt from rock torock. He had learnt this first from the cat, and more lately fromthe chamois. Rudy was considered the best guide over the mountains;every one had great confidence in him. He might have made a great dealof money as guide. His uncle had also taught him the trade of acooper; but he had no inclination for either; his delight was inchamois-hunting, which also brought him plenty of money. Rudy would bea very good match, as people said, if he would not look above hisown station. He was also such a famous partner in dancing, that thegirls often dreamt about him, and one and another thought of himeven when awake.
  "He kissed me in the dance," said Annette, the schoolmaster'sdaughter, to her dearest friend; but she ought not to have toldthis, even to her dearest friend. It is not easy to keep such secrets;they are like sand in a sieve; they slip out. It was therefore soonknown that Rudy, so brave and so good as he was, had kissed some onewhile dancing, and yet he had never kissed her who was dearest to him.
  "Ah, ah," said an old hunter, "he has kissed Annette, has he?