58 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



above. They were covered with brambles and Woodbine, 

 and spotted with brilhant moss. Near the Rock on one 

 side was a forest of large White Pine-trees, and a little 

 distance off was a spring of clear, cool water, round which 

 had been built a wall of stones from the ledge. 



There was an opening at the foot of the Rock which 

 was called the Den. It was formed by a large piece which 

 had fallen down and lay leaned up against the main ledge. 

 The Den was large enough for several children to stand 

 up in, and sometimes wken the boys were there alone, 

 they built a fire in it and roasted corn. There were 

 cracks in the rock above, through which the smoke would 

 curl up, and the boys at such times called it Robinson 

 Crusoe's oven. 



It was not a very hard matter for the boys to prepare 

 the Rock for the picnic. They cleared away all the rub- 

 bish, dried leaves, dead branches, and other things which 

 had collected on the top of the Rock, and then brought 

 some branches of Maple and Poplar from the woods. With 

 these they made a very pretty green arbor, in which they 

 placed the chair for Annie. Here she could sit and watch 

 the frolics of her young friends. It was a rude arbor, but 

 when the boys finished their work and looked at it, they 

 thought it was nice enough for a Princess. 



" Maggie came last night," said Tom to Johnny, as the 

 boys sat together resting after their work. ** Rose wrote 

 for her to come to the picnic, you know." 



