Added  to  this,  although  the  walking  and  fresh
mountain  air  had  removed  my  illness,!  was  still
weak  from  the  effects  of  it,  and  the  consequences
of  a  much  longer  exposure  to  the  storm  was
greatly  to  be  feared.     I  was  wondering  if  the
wind   increased    at  the   same  rate,  how  much
longer  it  would  be  before  I  should  be  carried  off,
when  suddenly  something  loomed  up  above  me
through  the  storm.     A  few-   steps  more  and  I
stood  beside  the  Brocken    House,  on  the  very
summit  of  the  mountain!     The  mariner,  who
has  been  floating  for  days  on  a  wreck  at  sea,
could  scarcely  be  more  rejoiced  at  a  friendly  sail,
than  I  was  on  entering  the  low  building.    Two
large  Alpine  dogs  in  the  passage,  as  I  walked  in,
dripping  with  wet,  gave  notice  to  the  inmates,
and   I   was  soon   ushered   into  a  warm  room,
where  I  changed   my  soaked  gaiments  for  dry
ones,  and  sat  down  by  the  fire  with  feelings  of
comfort  not  easily  imagined.     The  old  landlord
was  quite  surprised,   on  hearing  the  path  by
which  1  came,  that  I  found  the  way  at  all.    The
summit  was  wrapped  in  the  thickest  cloud,  and
he  gave  me  no  hope  for  several  hours  of  any
prospect  at  all,  so  I  sat  down  and  looked  over
the  Stranger's  Album.
159  VIEWS  A- FOOT.
