"Well, maybe we can, some time, Dolly. When Miss Eleanor is along. But we'd better not do it today. You know she said we were to stick to the preserve."
"Oh, bother; as if we could get into any mischief up here! But I suppose there wouldn't be any use in trying to persuade you; you always do just as you're told."
"Oh, I'd like to see the hotel, too, Dolly, but not today. The woods are enough for me now. And we can go there some other time, I'm sure."
Dolly said nothing more just then, and for a time they walked along quietly.
"We're about half way to Little Bear Lake now," announced Dolly, after a spell of silence.
"Why, how do you know?"
"Because I saw a map, and this ridge we've just come to is half way between the two lakes."
"Oh," said Bessie.
"Yes. We've been coming up hill so far now, the rest of the way is down hill, so it will be easier walking."
"That's good; it means that when we're going home we'll be going down for the last half of the trip, when we're tired. That's much easier than if it was the other way, I think."