THE SECRET OUT.
"Where is Jonas, all this time?" said Rollo to Lucy.
Lucy said that he had been busy, a long time, doing something overbeyond some rocks, but she did not know what, for her father told hershe must not go to see. Rollo wondered what the secret was, and he wasjust going to ask his father to let him go and see what Jonas was doing,when they saw him coming out from the bushes. He came up to Rollo'sfather, and told him that it was all ready. Then Rollo's father calledto all the company, and told them it was time to stop gathering berries,and they might take up their baskets and follow him.
The baskets and pails were heavy and full, and the whole party walkedalong, carrying them carefully towards the place where Jonas had comefrom. Rollo's Hither led the way. They entered into a little thicket,and passed through it by a narrow path. They came out presently into asort of opening, on a brow of the mountain. On one side they could lookdown upon a vast extent of country, exhibiting a beautiful variety offorests, rivers, villages, and farms. On the other side was a rockyprecipice, rising abruptly to a considerable height, and then slopingoff towards the summit of the mountain. They walked along a few steps ona smooth surface of the rock, between patches of grass andblueberry-bushes, until Lucy and Rollo ran forward to a brook which camefoaming down the precipice, and then, after tumbling along over rocks alittle way, took another foaming leap down the mountain, and was lostamong the trees below.
The party all stepped carefully over this brook, and then walked alongup the bank on the opposite side until they came to the precipice. Herethey were surprised and pleased to see a large bower built, in front ofa little sort of cavern or recess in the rock. Jonas had built it oflarge limbs of trees and bushes, which he had leaned up against therock, in such a manner as to enclose a large space within. There was anopening left round on the farther side, next the rock, and they all wentround mid went in--Rollo first, then Lucy, then the others. They foundthat smooth and clean logs and stones were arranged around the sides ofthe bower; and in the middle, on a carpet of leaves, was very abundantprovision for a rustic dinner.
There was bread, and butter, and ham, and gingerbread, and pie, andglasses for water from the brook. Rollo and Lucy wondered how all thosethings could have got up the mountain. Presently, however, theyrecollected that, when they were coming up, Jonas had two coveredbaskets to bring, and they thought, at the time, that they seemed to beheavy.
Thus the day passed away, and towards evening they came down themountain. Some remarkable things happened when they were coming down,which will be related in the story called "TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN."
"Coming down the Mountain"]
TROUBLE ON THE MOUNTAIN
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