us with open arms.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

HOW I WAS DISPOSED TO FIND FAULT WITH MY BEST FRIEND.

When I unclosed my eyes it was bright morning and through an opening in
the trees opposite to where I lay I gazed upon the dazzling summit of a
mountain of wonderfully regular shape. As I lay there it put me in mind
of a bell, so evenly rounded were the shoulders, and I was thinking
whether it would be possible to clamber up it and inspect the country
from its summit, when the doctor came up.

"Ah! Joe," he said; "and how are the spirits this morning?"

"Spirits?" I said wonderingly, for my sleep had been so deep that I had
forgotten all about the previous evening. "Oh, I'm quite well;" and
springing up I went to the stream by which we were encamped to bathe my
face and hands, coming back refreshed, and quite ready for the breakfast
that was waiting.

"Let's see," said the doctor. "I promised an expedition did I not?"

"Yes: hunting or fishing," I said eagerly, though I half repented my
eagerness directly after, for it seemed as if I did not think enough
about the object of our journey.

"I've altered my mind," said the doctor. "We've been travelling for
days in low damp levels; now for a change what do you say to trying high
ground and seeing if we can climb that mountain? What do you say,
Penny?"

"Won't it make our backs ache a deal?" he said, gazing rather wistfully
up at the glittering mountain.

"No doubt, and our legs too," the doctor replied. "Of course we shall
not try to ascend the snowy parts, but to get as far as the shoulder;
that will give us a good view of the lay of the country, and it will be
something to climb where perhaps human foot has never trod before."

There was something fascinating enough in this to move Jack Penny into
forgetfulness of the possibility of an aching back; and after getting in
motion once more, we followed our black bearers for a few miles, and
then giving them instructions where to halt--upon a low hill just in
front--we struck off to the left, the doctor, Jack Penny, Jimmy, and the
dog, and at the end of half an hour began the ascent.

So slight was the slope that we climbed I could hardly believe it
possible how fast we had ascended, when at the end of a couple of hours
we sat down to rest by a rill of clear intensely cold water that was
bubbling amongst the stones. For on peering through a clump of trees I
gazed at the most lovely landscape I had seen s