teams of horses, in making a little mine at the foot of a tall
cliff; and in marching for soldiers, for they had one day--the only time
in their lives--seen some soldiers go through the village of Ashford,
when they had gone there with their mother, for she now and then took
them with her when she had something from the shop to carry besides her
bundle of hose. At length they came to the foot of an open hill, which
swelled to a considerable height, with a round and climbable side, on
which grew a wilderness of bushes, amid which lay scattered masses of
gray crag. A small winding path went up this, and they followed it. It
was not long, however, before they saw some things which excited their
eager attention. Little David, who was the guide, and assumed to himself
much importance as the protector of his sisters, exclaimed, "See here!"
and springing forward, plucked a fine crimson cluster of the mountain
bramble. His sisters, on seeing this, rushed on with like eagerness.
They soon forsook the little winding and craggy footpath, and hurried
through sinking masses of moss and dry grass, from bush to bush, and
place to place. They were soon far up above the valley, and almost every
step revealed to them some delightful prize. The clusters of the
mountain-bramble, resembling mulberries, and known only to the
inhabitants of the hills, were abundant, and were rapidly devoured. The
dewberry was as eagerly gathered--its large, purple fruit passing with
them for blackberries. In their hands were soon seen posies of the
lovely grass of Parnassus, the mountain cistus, and the bright blue
geranium.

Higher and higher the little group ascended in this quest, till the
sight of the wide, naked hills, and the hawks circling round the lofty,
tower-like crags over their heads, made them feel serious and somewhat
afraid.

"Where are we?" asked Jane, the elder sister. "Arn't we a long way from
hom?"

"Let us go hom," said little Nancy. "I'm afreed here;" clutching hold of
Jane's frock.

"Pho, nonsense!" said David; "what are you afreed on? I'll tak care on
you, niver fear."

And with this he assumed a bold and defying aspect, and said, "Come
along; there are nests in th' hazzles up yonder."

He began to mount again, but the two girls hung back and said, "Nay,
David, dunna go higher; we are both afreed;" and Jane added, "It's a
long wee from hom, I'm sure."

"And those birds screechin' so up there; I darna go up," added little
Nanc