Beyond the green hills of the Mittel Land, mighty slopes of forest rose up to the lofty sides of the Carpathian mountains themselves. The mountains were r ight and left of us, the afternoon sun falling full upon them and bringing out all the glorious colours of this beautiful range. The shadows of the peaks were deep blue and purple, and green and brown where grass and rock were mixed together. There was an endless view of jagged rock and mountain side, till this was lost in the distance, and the snowy peaks rose grandly. Here and there we saw breaks in the mountains, and as the sun began to sink, we saw the white gleam of falling water in the breaks. One of my companions touched my arm as we went round the base of a hill and saw the lofty, snow-covered peak of a mountain, which seemed to be right before us.

"Look! Isten szek!" - "God's seat!" - and he crossed himself reverently.

As we went on our endless way, and the sun sank lower and lower, and the shadows of the evening began to creep round us. The shadows seemed even darker because the snowy mountain-top still held the sunset, and seemed to glow with a delicate cool pink. Here and there on the road we passed Cszeks and Slovaks, all in their picturesque clothing. By the roadside there were many crosses, and as we drove by, my companions all crossed themselves.

Vocabulary:

Lofty: High up
Range: Collective noun for mountains
Peaks: The very tops of the mountains
Jagged: With rough sharp edges
Gleam: Light reflected from something shiny
Reverently: With religious respect
Creep: Move quietly and secretly
Delicate: Soft and easily broken