, or rather on to the trunk of a tree. "All right--come
along," he exclaimed; "do as I do." The next instant, however, over he
went on his nose, and disappeared.

We followed, and found his legs sticking up, while his head and
shoulders were three or four feet deep in damp wood and moss. We
managed to haul him out, covered from head to foot with wet moss; his
blue suit turned into one of green, fitted for the woodland region in
which he was so anxious to roam. Undaunted, however, he made his way
onwards, now climbing over a somewhat firm trunk; only, however, the
next instant to sink up to his middle in the moss and decayed wood.
Tommy followed, but was very nearly smothered, and not without
difficulty we hauled him out; then the master, finding himself alone,
came back grumbling at our cowardice, as he called it.

We now all embarked, and pulled along the shore in the hope of finding a
more practicable way up the mountain. As we got to the head of the
basin, we discovered a stream flowing into it; up this we pulled for
some distance,--the bank on either side being covered with vegetation,--
till we reached a rocky ledge on one side, over which the water had
apparently at one time flowed. A low waterfall a slight distance ahead
showed that further progress was impracticable. We accordingly landed
on the ledge, and once more attempted to make our way up the mountain.
We had much the same sort of ground to go over as that on which the
master had made his first essay; but as the belt of forest which
separated us from the steep side of the mountain was much narrower than
in the former place, we persevered, and soon found that we were
ascending.

Up and up we went, helping ourselves along by the roots and branches of
the trees, the more stunted growth of which at length showed the height
we had reached. We now emerged from the forest, when the ground above
us appeared covered with spongy moss, the walking over which we found
comparatively easy, saturated though it was with snow-water, which fell
in every direction in tiny cascades over the side of the mountain. Even
the grass and moss were at length left behind, and we found ourselves
treading on half-melted snow, which, as we ascended, became more crisp
and solid--the bright glare, as the sun fell on it, proving very trying
to our eyes after the gloom of the forest. Still, on we went for some
distance, the ground being almost level; then we ascended, and, passin