Ben gave a covert smile and the others laughed openly.
“You funny child,” said Billie. “It’s really beautiful to see a person enjoy clothes like that. You look sweet enough to charm a snake, and if the walking is too stiff, we’ll just carry you.”
“So far so good,” said Ben, “but on the other side of Table Top there’ll be some climb.”
Nancy did not hear this prediction.
So far, indeed, the trail was a broad and honest path leading through the pine forest; but after a while, as it descended toward the tableland, it grew so narrow as to be imperceptible to everybody but Ben, whose eyes, trained by long months of camping and vacation walking trips, could pick out the faintest indication of a path where the others saw nothing at all.
It was well past noon when at last they arrived at a scooped out area of land between the two mountains, connecting them half way to their summit, like the web foot of a duck.
Here, hungry and tired, they paused for lunch, and somehow, two sandwiches and a boiled egg apiece didn’t seem to go very far.
“I have to apologize,” said Billie. “There was nothing in the camp to eat. I suppose that’s why Mr. Lupo made his mysterious visit to the village: to get supplies.”
“I’m thankful it’s all gone and there is no more,” announced Percy. “It’s something less to carry,” he added, tying a cord around Nancy’s coat and his own and hanging them over his back like a peddler’s pack.
“Be still,” whispered Elinor, raising a warning hand, “I was certain I heard music off in that direction.”