134 HILLSIDE, ROCK, AND DALE 



A twite on the higher branches of a tree called 

 out his notes, then flitted on towards the rising 

 sun. This, as it slowly rose higher, showed with 

 distinctness a ridge of pines, black against the now 

 increasing light, and farther off, between the nearer 

 hills, I saw the haunt of that now rare bird the 

 raven. 



We were stranded at a little country station, but 

 happily this boasted of a waiting-room and a fire. 

 After a time a sleepy porter came on the scenes to 

 give us some light. At last our train did pull up 

 to take us one stage nearer to our goal. For one 

 day and night we stayed in a riverside village and 

 explored the beautiful and wild country, but our 

 thoughts were on the far-away distant ridge of hills, 

 which were seen, almost hidden by a veil of mist. 

 As we wandered by the dipper stream, rippling and 

 bubbling on its way over moss-covered boulders and 

 smaller stones, we looked forward to the parts where 

 the current was not so wide, and where it flowed 

 more rapidly between the higher hills. Here, how- 

 ever, its beauty was most enchanting, and when the 

 pink hue of evening's sunset touched the hills and 

 water alike, turning the latter's sparkling ripples 

 into gleams like tinted jewels, I seemed to be in 

 a new world, even the sounds of the country, as well 

 as the scenes, being new to me. I can now picture 

 again in my mind the hundreds of fields, the fantastic 



