About twenty feet from where they stood was a projecting rock, and to the left of it another, extending out at right angles.
"But how are we going to reach it?" asked Ralph.
"Go around farther to the right, and you will find a vine. I used that as a ladder."
Around to the right the boys scampered, each trying to get there first. There was no vine in sight. Blakely was coming up, as the boys turned back, disappointed.
"Not there?" he inquired. "It ran up this tree. What is this? Some one has cut it off and dragged it up to the shelf above; do you see it there?" and Blakely pointed to the vine stump, hidden by the grass and weeds.
The boys saw the plain evidence of the cuts.
"This is decidedly interesting," exclaimed Blakely, as he turned to the Professor. "This was done since I was here."
The only way to reach the ledge was to climb the tree and try to drag the vine from the ledge, and Ralph volunteered to do this.
It was not much of a task, and when the vine had been drawn down he moved out on the limb and easily stepped on the ledge of the nearest rock, and then drew over the vine so the boys could readily reach the main ledge.
Blakely was the last to gain the top, and he led the way around the first projecting rock. The view from this point was a charming one.