. While Flossie
and Freddie played with the doll and the boat, the older children took
turns seeing how high they could go. Then they would let the "old cat
die," that is, stay in the swing, without trying to make it sway, until
it came to a dead stop.

"I know what we can do!" cried Bert, when they were tired of swinging.

"What?" asked Harry.

"We can shinny up the rope like sailors. I can go 'way up to the limb."

Bert was a sturdy chap, and soon he was "shinnying," or climbing, up the
rope like a human monkey. Then Harry did it, managing to reach the big
limb, to which the rope was fastened, more quickly than had Bert.

"Now it's my turn!" exclaimed Nan, when the two boys were on the ground
again.

"Pooh! Girls can't climb ropes!" declared Harry.

"Yes, I can, too! You watch!"

Nan was almost as strong as her brother. She caught hold of the rope,
and managed to scramble up, though it was hard work.

"You can't do it!" laughed Harry, when, almost at the top, she paused
for a moment.

"Yes, I can! I can! You just watch!"

Nan gave a wiggle, another scramble, and then, just as she managed to
get one leg over the limb, she slipped.

"Oh! Oh!" she screamed. "I'm going to fall!"

But she did not fall. Instead, one foot caught in a loop of the rope,
and there poor Nan hung, half way over the limb, one leg dangling down,
and her hands clutching the rope. She could neither get up nor down! She
was caught on the limb of the tree!

CHAPTER X

DOWN A BIG HOLE

For a few seconds Bert and Harry were so surprised at what had happened
to Nan that they could do nothing but stand and stare up at her.

As for Nan, she also was surprised at the suddenness of her tumble when
she was almost perched safely astride the limb to which the rope of the
swing was tied. As she felt herself slipping she had clung with all her
might, one hand and part of her arm over the branch, another hand
grasping the rope, one leg partly up over the limb, and the other leg
tangled in the rope.

This was what had caused the trouble--the leg getting caught and tangled
in a loop of the rope. But for that, Nan could have swung this leg up
over the limb and so have perched there in safety.

"Come on down!" cried Harry.

"Don't fall!" begged Bert. "Oh, Nan, be careful! Mother'll think I
oughtn't to have let you climb up there!"

"You didn't--you didn't let--me!" panted Nan. "I did it myself!"

"Well, come on down!" begged Harry a