se. However, it
was now too late to repent, and his attention was attracted by the wild
and romantic scene around him. The path descended obliquely, by a rough,
wet, and stony way, through a dark forest. He heard the sighing of the
wind, in the tops of the tall trees, and the mellow notes of forest
birds, far off, and high, which came rich and sweet to his ear with a
peculiar expression of solitude and loneliness.

The boys rode on, and the path became more and more slippery, stony,
and steep Rollo clung tight to Jonas, and begun to be somewhat afraid.
He would have proposed to go back, but he was ashamed to do it. After a
little time, he asked Jonas whether the path was as bad as that all the
way.

"As bad as this!" said Jonas; "we call this very good. I will show you
the bad road pretty soon."

Rollo looked frightened, but said nothing.

"The road seems more wet than common to-day," said Jonas, "I suppose on
account of the rain yesterday; and I declare," said he, "I am afraid we
shall find the brook up."

"The brook up!" said Rollo.

"Yes--why did not I think of that before? However, we must go on now."

"Why?" said Rollo. "Why cannot we go back?"

"O, because we should be too late; besides, there is no danger, only we
may have to wade a little."

As they went on, the mud in the road grew deeper and deeper, and
presently Old Trumpeter's legs sunk far down among roots and mire.
Rollo began to feel more and more alarmed, and heartily wished that he
had taken his father's advice.

Soon alter they came to a place where the path, for some distance before
them, was full of water, deep and miry. Jonas said he thought that they
had better go out upon one side; so he made the horse step over a log
and go in among the trees and bushes. The branches brushed and scratched
Rollo unmercifully, though he bent down, and leaned over to this side
and that, continually, to escape them. He asked Jonas why this path had
not dried, as well as the main road, where the chaises had gone; and
Jonas told him that the sun and the wind were the great means of drying
the open road, but that this narrow and secluded path was shaded from
the sun, and sheltered from the wind, and that the water consequently
remained a long time among the moss, and roots, and mire.

After a time, they got back into the path again, and, going on a little
farther, they came down to the margin of the brook. They found that it
_was_ "up," as Jonas had feared