near the brook, and sometimes very high up among the rocks. They were
both pretty good climbers, and there were no very dangerous places, for
there were no high, perpendicular precipices. They found blue-bells in
abundance, and several other flowers. They also found a variety of
brakes, of different forms and colors. They determined to gather as many
flowers as they could, and then go down to the hemlock-tree, and
there look them over, and select those best to be pressed; and then put
them carefully into their books there. Then they could carry them home
safely; they would, in fact, be in press all the way.

After rambling and climbing about for half an hour, the boys went down
to the flat rock, under the hemlock, with large bunches of plants and
flowers in their hands. Here they sat another half hour, looking over
their specimens, and putting them into their books. At length, Rollo
picked up a singular-looking thing, which was lying down by the side of
the stone under the tree. It was about as big as his thumb, and somewhat
pointed at the ends. It was black, and rather glossy, and the surface
was marked regularly with little ridges. James could not imagine what it
was; but Rollo told him that he thought it must be a hemlock-seed. The
truth was, that it was a great _chrysalis_, though Rollo did not find it
out till long afterwards.

"A hemlock-seed!" said James.

"Yes," said Rollo; "I have seen the cones which grow on fir-trees, and
they are a good deal like this."

"But they are not so handsome," said James.

"I know it," said Rollo; "they are not so handsome. This is the most
beautiful one I ever saw."

"We can plant it," said James, "next spring."

"Yes," said Rollo; "and then we can have a great hemlock-tree near our
house."

"But we shall have to wait a great many years," said James.

"O, no, not a great many," said Rollo. "It is such a great seed, I think
it would grow pretty fast."

But James did not like the idea of planting it very well. He proposed
that they should keep it, for a curiosity, in their museum. Rollo
insisted, at first, upon planting it; but at length, reflecting that it
was not then the right season to plant it, he concluded to put it into
the museum, with his raspberry-seeds, until the next spring, and to
plant it then.

So Rollo put the hemlock-seed into his pocket, and he and James took
their books under their arms, with a great many flowers and plants
carefully placed between