arked Dorothy. "She's rather keen on
geology, and one gets a much better general view of the gorge from here
than from the Hydro."

"Yes, I'm sorry she wasn't allowed to come," replied Gabrielle. "I think
Mrs. Clarke is fearfully nervous. I'm glad Mother doesn't fuss over me
to such an extent. Still, it has another side to it--it must be rather
nice to be a treasured only child!"

"Then you should have been born in a different family; you made a bad
choice in ours," said Eric.

"How many of you are there altogether?" asked Dorothy.

"Seven; we've left the little ones behind."

"Only Norma goes to the Coll."

"Yes; the other three are nursery children. You don't know what it is to
be eldest daughter. Be thankful you haven't three small nuisances at
home."

"I wish I had!" said Dorothy.

"All right; you may change places with me. I'll hand over the whole set
of brothers and sisters, Percy and Eric included."

"A happy exchange for us!" murmured Percy, with a look at Dorothy.

"You horrid boy!" said Gabrielle.

"I want to know why Percy has brought that coil of rope with him,"
enquired Dorothy. "I've been wondering ever since we started."

"Well, I'm quite prepared to satisfy your curiosity. Let us sit down
and eat our lunch while I expound; there are some jolly stones here for
seats."

All four were very ready for lunch, though it was only twelve o'clock.
The keen air had given them fine appetites, and the ham sandwiches and
chicken drumsticks disappeared quickly, not to speak of the bread and
cheese and cakes.

"They don't put up bad lunches at the Hydro.," said Percy, aiming his
last chicken bone at a bird that flew overhead.

"What about the rope?" asked Dorothy again. "I'm still inquisitive."

"It's an idea of mine. You know, everybody goes to Lingham Cave; it's a
regular show place. You pay your shilling, and you're taken round by a
guide who tells you where to step, and not to knock your head, and all
that kind of stuff, and prates away about geology and natural
curiosities and the rest of it, as if he'd learnt it off like a lesson.
Well, instead of going where everybody else goes, I think it would be
much better fun to explore a place of our own. There's another cave at
the other side of Lingham, on the spur of Whernscar. I saw the entrance
to it last Friday, when I walked over with Dr. Shaw. He pointed it out
to me, and said very few people had been down it, but it was quite as
fine as the oth