"Why, the water's all dark and black, don't you see?"
"Well," said Ellen; "let it be Black, then; but I don't like it. Now, remember, this is Niagara, that is Black, and this is Trenton; and what is this?"
"If you are going to name them all," said Nancy, "we shan't get home to-night; you might as well name all the trees there's a hundred of 'em, and more. I say, Ellen, suppos'n' we follow the brook instead of climbing up yonder again; it will take us out to the open fields by and by."
"Oh, do let's!" said Ellen; "that will be lovely."
It proved a rough way; but Ellen still thought and called it "lovely." Often by the side of the stream there was no footing at all, and the girls picked their way over the stones, large and small, wet and dry, which strewed its bed; against which the water foamed, and fumed, and fretted, as if in great impatience. It was ticklish work getting along over these stones; now tottering on an unsteady one, now slipping on a wet one and every now and then making huge leaps from rock to rock, which there was no other method of reaching, at the imminent hazard of falling in. But they laughed at the danger; sprang on in great glee, delighted with the exercise and the fun; didn't stay long enough anywhere to lose their balance, and enjoyed themselves amazingly. There was many a hair- breadth escape; many an almost sousing; but that made it all the more lively. The brook formed, as Nancy had said, a constant succession of little waterfalls, its course being quite steep and very rocky; and in some places there were pools quite deep enough to have given them a thorough wetting, to say no more, if they had missed their footing and tumbled in. But this did not happen. In due time, though with no little difficulty, they reached the spot where the brook came forth from the wood into the open day; and thence, making a sharp turn to the right, skirted along by the edge of the trees, as if unwilling to part company with them.
"I guess we'd better get back into the lane now," said Miss
Nancy; "we're a pretty good long way from home."
CHAPTER XII.
Splitters.
They left the wood and the brook behind them, and crossed a large stubble-field; then got over a fence into another. They were in the midst of this when Nancy stopped Ellen, and bade her look up towards the west, where towered a high mountain, no longer hid from their view by the trees.
"I told you I'd show you where I live," said she. "Look up now clear to the top of the mountain, almost, and a little to the right do you see that little mite of a house there? Look sharp it's a'most as brown as the rock do you see it? it's close by that big pine-tree, but it don't look big from here it's just by that little dark spot near the top."