“There’s a spring over there,” replied Kitty, with a nod toward the edge of the woods a few hundred feet away. “And there’s a ledge about fifteen feet up on the other side that we can get to easily. Good view from there. Plenty of room, too.”
So they followed a path that led around the base of the Rock through sweetfern and small bushes until Kitty indicated a place where by following the lower face of the Rock up and around it was not difficult to climb. Kitty led the way up the well worn trail, Tad followed, and Rodney went last to give a hand now and then to the twins. A few minutes of climbing and scrambling brought them to a jutting ledge about ten feet broad, carpeted with grass and Christmas ferns, and somewhat littered with the remains of former repasts. A blackened cranny against the overhanging face of the Rock showed where a fire had been built at some time.
“They had courage to lug wood up here for a fire,” said Tad. “Wish they’d left some, though.”
“We haven’t anything to cook,” objected Matty.
“No matter. A fire is always good fun. We might boil water, anyway. Can you go on up from here, Kitty?”
“Yes. Climb around that corner and then up about twenty feet. After that you work around to the left on some crumbly rock, and then go up where there’s a sort of fissure. That brings you pretty nearly to the top. There’s a bit of hard climbing after that though, about ten feet or so.”
Tad walked to the further side of the lunching place and cast a speculative eye up the face of the cliff. Then he looked down at his rubber soled shoes and nodded.
“Looks easy,” he said carelessly. “I’ll try it after luncheon I guess.”
“You may if you like,” said Rodney, who had followed him to the edge. “I wouldn’t go up there for fifty dollars!”