ould like to go very much indeed."

"Very well," said Mr. George; "we will go. But first let me get my
pressing book to put some flowers in, in case we find any."

Mr. George's pressing book was a contrivance which he had invented for
the more convenient desiccation of such flowers as he might gather in
his travels and wish to carry home with him and preserve, either for
botanical specimens or as souvenirs for his friends. It was made by
taking out all the leaves of a small book and replacing them with an
equal number of loose leaves, made for the purpose, of blotting paper,
and trimmed to the right size. Such small flowers as he might gather in
the various places that he visited could be much more conveniently
pressed and preserved between these loose leaves of blotting paper than
between the leaves of an ordinary book.[10]

So Mr. George, taking his pressing book in his hand, led the way; and
Rollo following him, they attempted to ascend the hill behind the inn.
They found the ascent, however, extremely steep and difficult. There
were no rocks and no roughnesses of any kind in the way. It was merely a
grassy slope like the steep face of a terrace; but it was so steep that,
after Mr. George and Rollo had scrambled up two or three hundred feet,
it made Rollo almost dizzy to look down; and he began to cling to the
grass and to feel afraid.

"Rollo," said Mr. George, "I am almost afraid to climb up here any
higher. Do you feel afraid?"

"No, sir," said Rollo, endeavoring at the same time to reassure himself.
"No, sir; I am not much afraid."

"Let us stop a few minutes to rest and look at the mountain," said Mr.
George.

Mr. George knew very well that there was no real danger; for the slope,
though very steep, was very grassy from the top to the bottom; and even
if Rollo had fallen and rolled down it could not have done him much
harm.

After a short pause, to allow Rollo to get a little familiar with the
scene, Mr. George began to move on. Rollo followed. Both Rollo and Mr.
George would occasionally look up to see how far they were from the top.
It was very difficult, however, to look up, as in doing so it was
necessary to lean the head so far back that they came very near losing
their balance.

After going on for about half an hour, Mr. George said that he did not
see that they were any nearer the top of the hill than they were at the
beginning.

"Nor I either," said Rollo; "and I think we had better go back