not finding enough food had sent down their
roots over the sides lower and lower to where they could plunge into the
earth, where they had grown and strengthened till the mass of rock was
shut in tightly in what looked like a huge basket, whose bars held the
stone fast, while the great fir-tree ran straight up from the top.

These wild places had a constant attraction for us, the greater that we
were always in expectation of hearing a deer rush away, or catching
sight of some fresh bird, while there was always a shivering
anticipation of our coming face to face with a bear.

The sun came down glowing and hot into the ravine, where the strong
aromatic scent of the pines floated to us laden with health as we toiled
on higher and higher, leaping from rock to rock, wading or climbing, and
often making use of a great pine-trunk for a bridge.

"It's so different to the city," Esau used to say. "The roaring of the
water puts you a bit in mind of Cheapside sometimes; but you can't lie
down there, and listen and think as you can here."

"What do you generally think about, Esau?" I said.

"Dunno; mostly about getting higher up. Let's get higher up now. I
say, look at the trout. Shall we try and get a few for dinner; the old
man likes them?"

"As we come back," I said. "Let's go up higher now."

"How far would it be up to where this stream begins?"

"Not very far," I said. "It cannot come from the ice up yonder."

"Why not?" he said sharply. "I think it must."

"It cannot, because it is so clear. We couldn't see the trout if it was
a glacier stream."

"Humph, no, I s'pose not. Where does it come from then?"

"Oh, from scores of rills away perhaps in the mountains. How
beautifully clear the water is!--you can see every stone at the bottom--
and, look, it's like a network of gold on the sand."

"What makes that?" said Esau.

"The ripple of the water as it runs. How beautiful it all is!"

"Yes; I should like to build mother a cottage up there when she comes."

"That's what you always say. Why don't you set to work and build one
ready when she does come?"

"If you talk like that I will," said Esau, irritably. "Of course I
always say so--shame if I didn't."

"Well then, select your place and let's begin."

"Shan't! not for you to make fun of me," cried Esau, throwing himself
down. "Now then, if you want to quarrel again, go it. I shan't
grumble."

We went on by the side of the little stream for