The American Baron

The American Baron, by James
De Mille,

The Project Gutenberg eBook, The American Baron, by James De
Mille, Illustrated by William Ludwell Sheppard
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The American Baron
Author: James De Mille

Release Date: July 17, 2007 [eBook #13257]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
AMERICAN BARON***
E-text prepared by Keith M. Eckrich, Curtis Weyant, and the Project
Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team
(http://www.pgdp.net) and revised by Louise Hope using page images
generously made available by Internet Archive/American Libraries
(http://www.archive.org/details/americana)

Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which
includes the original illustrations. See 13257-h.htm or 13257-h.zip:
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/3/2/5/13257/13257-h/13257-h.htm) or
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/3/2/5/13257/13257-h.zip)
Images of the original pages are available through Internet
Archive/American Libraries. See
http://www.archive.org/details/americanbaron00demiiala

THE AMERICAN BARON.
A Novel.
by
JAMES DE MILLE,
Author of "The Dodge Club," "The Cryptogram," "Cord and Creese,"
&c.
With Illustrations.

[Illustration: "AND AS THEY STOOD THE CLERGYMEN
SLOWLY CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE" --(SEE PAGE 132.)]

NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, FRANKLIN
SQUARE. 1872.
* * * * *
By PROF. JAMES DE MILLE.
THE DODGE CLUB; or, Italy in 1859. Illustrated. 8vo, Paper, 75 cents;

Cloth, $1.25.
CORD AND CREESE. A Novel. Illustrated. 8vo, Paper, 75 cents; Cloth,
$1.25.
THE CRYPTOGRAM. A Novel. Illustrated. 8vo, Paper, $1.50; Cloth,
$2.00.
THE AMERICAN BARON. A Novel. Illustrated. 8vo, Paper.
Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.
Sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States, on
receipt of the price.
* * * * *
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by HARPER &
BROTHERS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at
Washington.

THE AMERICAN BARON.

[Illustration: "PARDON, MEES."]
CHAPTER I.
THE AVALANCHE.
Somewhat less than a hundred years ago a party of travelers might have
been seen crossing over the Simplon Road, en route for Italy. They had
been detained at Brieg by reports that the road was impassable; and, as
it was the month of March, the prospect of snow and storms and
avalanches was sufficient to make them hesitate. At length the road had
been reopened, and they were informed that the journey might be made
on sleds.

Unwilling to wait at Brieg, and equally unwilling to make a detour so
as to take the railroad, the party decided to go on. They were informed
that they could go on wheels as far as the line of snow, but that
afterward their accommodations would not be so comfortable as they
might desire. The road had been cleared for only a few feet; the snow
was deep; the sleds were rude; and progress would be slow. These
statements, however, did not shake the resolution of the party; and the
end of it was that they determined to go on, and cross the mountain if it
were possible.
On leaving Brieg the road began to ascend with a very slight incline,
winding around in an intricate sort of way, sometimes crossing deep
gullies, at other times piercing the hillside in long dark tunnels; but
amidst all these windings ever ascending, so that every step took them
higher and higher above the little valley where Brieg lay. The party saw
also that every step brought them steadily nearer to the line of snow;
and at length they found the road covered with a thin white layer. Over
this they rolled, and though the snow became deeper with every furlong
of their progress, yet they encountered but little actual difficulty until
they approached the first station where the horses were to be changed.
Here they came to a deep drift. Through this a pathway had been
cleared, so that there was no difficulty about going through; but the
sight of this served to show them what might be expected further on,
and to fill them all with grave doubts as to the practicability of a
journey which was thus interrupted so early.
On reaching the station these doubts were confirmed. They were
informed that the road had been cleared for sleds on the preceding day,
but that on the previous night fresh snow had fallen, and in such
quantities that the road would have to be cleared afresh. The worst of it
was that there was every probability of new snow-storms, which would
cover the road still deeper, and once more obliterate the track. This led
to a fresh debate about the journey; but they were all unwilling to turn
back. Only a few miles separated them from Domo