ense and the way underfoot was so rough
and uneven that it was almost impossible to make any headway there. For
Stone Mountain was a stone mountain in very truth. It appeared to be just
one enormous heap of rocks and boulders. In a very little while both boys
were perspiring profusely from their efforts, and both were conscious that
they were tiring fast; for the grade up the notch was steep.

"Gee!" said Lew, at last. "This is tougher than anything I ever saw when I
was in the Maine woods with Dad. We've got to take it easy or we'll be
tuckered out before we get through this gap. Let's rest a bit."

He sat down on a stone and Charley followed his example. As they rested,
they looked sharply about them. They could see for some distance through
the naked forest. The tree trunks stood straight and tall, and seemed to
be crowded as close together as pickets on a fence.

"This sure is a fine stand of poles," remarked Lew, "but it's just as that
lumber dealer said. There isn't a tree in it that would make a board wider
than six inches. But there's some good timber farther back in the
mountains. Do you remember the fine stand of pines in that little valley
we're heading for? When we were there three years ago there hadn't been a
tree cut in that valley. There must be millions and millions of feet of
lumber there."

"And do you remember," replied Charley, "how dark it was under those
pines, and how cold the water in the run was, and what schools of trout
we saw? Gee! I wish it had been trout season then! But we ought to get'em
now. Oh boy! I can hardly wait to get there."

"Then we had better be jogging on. It'll be dark before we know it."

"All right," returned Charley, "but I'm going to get a drink before I go
any farther."

"I want one, too. Guess I'll fill the canteen. Then we won't have to, stop
every time we want a drink."

The two boys scrambled down the slope to the brook. The lumber trail was
near the bottom of the notch and they had only a few yards to go. The
little run was rushing tumultuously down the notch, splashing over rocks,
scurrying over little sandy stretches, ever singing, ever murmuring, in
its downward course. Their packs and blankets made it difficult to stretch
out flat and drink from the stream, so Lew rinsed out the canteen, filled
it, and handed it to his companion. Charley took a good drink and passed
the canteen silently back to his chum.

"If you didn't really know it was the brook," s