“There’s not room at the top to tie so many horses,” Connie explained.
Everyone dismounted and Lefty fastened the ponies to a tree. Then they started the tedious climb afoot. The two teachers, both plump and short of breath, were very cheerful about it. When they reached the summit and peered over the cliff at the pool below, they declared they had not seen such a beautiful spot anywhere on their vacation trip.
“It’s well worth the climb,” Miss Parker asserted.
“So far as I can see, it’s just a lake,” said Cecil irritably. “And a pretty dinky one at that.”
Connie told the story of the Indian princess who had leaped to her death. The teachers were awed by the tale, asking if it were really true.
“Of course it isn’t,” answered Cecil before Connie could speak. “You hear that same story everywhere. About how far down is the lake?”
“A little over sixty feet,” Lefty replied briefly.
“Looks about half that distance to me,” Cecil said speculatively. “I guess out West here they have to exaggerate everything or it wouldn’t make a good story.”
“It really is that far down,” Connie told him.
She was growing irritated with Cecil, and Lefty too was having difficulty in holding his temper. The spoiled young man had no right to ruin the trip for the other members of the party, yet that was exactly what he was doing.