to find food, and
cling tightly against the cold freezing winds, it keeps down close to
the ground, and gets to be a poor scrubby bush a few feet high, or
less."

"Then the trees have got gumption too, sir. That's better than being
blown down."

"I don't know about gumption, Ned; but it's the same with flowers. They
grow thin and poor on rocks and stones, and rich and luxuriant on good
moist soils, and--Hallo! where are the others? we mustn't be left
behind."

"Oh, we're all right, sir. They're only just ahead, and we can't lose
ourselves, because all we've got to do is to go back along by the
trickling water here. I'll shout if you like."

"Oh no; I could blow my whistle, but I don't want to, because it would
startle the doctor. He'd think there was something wrong."

"Don't whistle him, sir. Here's a nice comfortable bit o' rock here;
would you like to sit down?"

"You're tired, Ned," said Jack quickly.

"Am I, sir? Well, I dunno--p'r'aps you're right. I s'pose I am a bit
fagged. Legs don't seem to go quite so well as they used. If you
wouldn't mind, I think I should like just ten minutes' rest to freshen
me up a bit."

"Sit down then."

"After you, sir."

"Very well: there. No, sit down--or, better still, lie down on your
back."

"Make the things about puzzled, and want to know what I am. I shall be
having snakes and lizards going for a walk up my arms and legs, sir.
But I don't know as I mind for a bit--I'll risk it."

Jack had halted at the foot of a perpendicular wall of moss-grown rock,
and set the example, after disturbing the grass and ferns at the foot,
of sitting down, and Ned lay at full length.

"Lovely, sir," he said. "It's worth while to get regular tired so as to
enjoy a rest like this. I don't s'pose they'll go much farther, and
they must come back this way, I suppose."

"I think so, Ned. They couldn't come back through the forest, and they
would not as soon as they missed us, they'd be sure to come this way so
as to pick us up."

He was silent for a few moments, and then went on softly, as his eyes
wandered over the trees and creepers about them--

"How lovely it all is, with the sun sprinkling light through the leaves.
It looks just like silver rain. Look at that great flapping moth.
That must be an Atlas, I suppose. I ought to try and catch it, but it
seems such a pity to go out and destroy every beautiful thing one sees,
so as to turn it into a specimen. Loo