she drew rein here, and looked up at the lofty
ascent of gray rocks that concealed Hurricane Hall, "to have had to
come such a circuit around the outside of the 'Horse Shoe,' to find
myself just at the back of our old house, and no farther from home than
this! There's as many doubles and twists in these mountains as there
are in a lawyer's discourse! There, Gyp, you needn't turn back again
and pull at the bridle, to tell me that there is a storm coming up and
that you want to go home! I have no more respect for your opinion than
I have for Mrs. Condiment's. Besides, you carry a damsel-errant in
quest of adventures, Gyp, and so you must on, Gyp--you must on!" said
Capitola, forcibly pulling her horse's head around, and then taking a
survey of the downward path.

It was a scene fascinating from its very excess of gloom and terror!

It was a valley so deep and dark as to merit the name of the hollow, or
hole, but for its great extent and its thick growth of forest, through
which spectral-looking rocks gleamed, and moaning waters could be heard
but not seen.

"Now, somewhere in that thick forest in the bottom of that vale, stands
the house--well called the Hidden House, since not a chimney of it can
be seen even from this commanding height! But I suppose this path that
leads down into the valley may conduct me to the building! Come along,
Gyp! You needn't turn up your head and pull at the bit! You've got to
go! I am bound this night to see the outside of the Hidden House, and
the window of the haunted chamber at the very least!" said Cap,
throwing her eyes up defiantly toward the darkening sky, and putting
whip to her unwilling horse.

As the path wound down into the valley the woods were found deeper,
thicker and darker. It occupied all Cap's faculties to push her way
through the overhanging and interlacing branches of the trees.

"Good gracious," she said, as she used her left arm rather vigorously
to push aside the obstructions to her path, "one would think this were
the enchanted forest containing the castle of the sleeping beauty, and
I was the knight destined to deliver her! I'm sure it wouldn't have
been more difficult."

Still deeper fell the path, thicker grew the forest and darker the way.

"Gyp, I'm under the impression that we shall have to turn back yet!"
said Cap, dolefully stopping in the midst of a thicket so dense that it
completely blockaded her farther progress in the same direction. Just
as she c