CRUEL BARBED WIRE. 157 



shawl, or even a yard of muslin, to lay across 

 the wire you can step over (thus covering the 

 mischievous barbs), while a good friend holds 

 up with strong hand the next wire, and you slip 

 through. Thus you may pass this cruel device 

 of man without accident. 



Having circumvented the fence, the next task 

 was to descend the steep sides of the ravine. 

 The difficulty was, not to get down, for that 

 could be done almost anywhere, but to go 

 right side up ; to land on the feet and not on 

 the head was the test of sure-footedness and 

 climbing ability. We conquered that obstacle, 

 cautiously creeping down rocky steps, and over 

 slippery soil, steadying ourselves by bushes, 

 clasping small tree-trunks, scrambling over big 

 ones that lay prone upon the ground, and thus 

 we safely reached the level of the stream. Then 

 we passed along more easily, stooping under 

 low trees, crossing the beds of tiny brooks, en- 

 circling clumps of shrubbery (and catching the 

 night's cobwebs on our faces), till we reached a 

 fallen tree-trunk that seemed made for resting. 

 There we seated ourselves, to breathe, and to 

 see who lived in the place. 



One of the residents proclaimed himself at 

 once, 



" To left and right 

 The cuckoo told his name to all the hills," 



