priate as the Spanish one, Copa dc Oni, 

 Cup of Gold. 



The happy children were improving 

 the few minutes' rest b}' picking- the 

 flowers that the winter rains and warm 

 sun had coaxed forth and with which 

 the hill was fairly carpeted. The chap- 

 erons having rested, they again fol- 

 lowed the path which now led along a 

 narrow trail cut from the side of the 

 hill and was up so high that they hardly 

 dared look down for fear of becoming- 

 dizzy and falling. The path grew very 

 narrow and presently the file was 

 brought to a halt and the leader called 

 back: "We have come to the end of 

 the trail. What shall we do?" 



To be sure, what shall we do? One 

 mischievous girl called "J^^P-" 



The dog of the party went bounding 

 down the precipitous side, and standing 

 there in despair of ever getting any 

 farther, they could not help wishing 

 that the fairy Godmother would come 

 and with her wand turn them all into 

 little dogs. One of the chaperons of 

 the party decided to reconnoiter and 

 picking her away through 'the under- 

 brush, was lost to view for some mo- 

 ments, but returning, announced that 

 she thought the descent could be made. 

 She reported that the trail (such as it 

 was) ended in a twenty-foot slide that 

 would be the most difficult part; but 

 the party decided to risk it rather than 

 retrace their steps. For the nimble chil- 

 dren it was not much of an undertak- 

 ing, but the corpulent member of the 

 party found it more difficult. Securing 

 a long, stout staff she cautiously com- 

 menced the descent. By holding on to 

 the branches from above and stepping 

 over those below, she finally reached 

 the top of the incline, Nature's "Chute." 



"Come on, mamma, w^e will catch 

 ,you," called one of the mischievous 

 children. 



'T do believe that you little rogues 

 want me to land in that stream of 

 water," she answered. 



The children laughed in glee for that 

 was just what they w^anted; but mamma 

 knew better than to try to slide. Aided 

 by her staflf and by digging her heels 

 into the moist earth, she safely reached 

 the bottom and jumped the tiny stream. 



A turn around a projecting point of 

 the hill brought Rock Basin into view. 

 The group stood on the rocky ledge 

 some twenty feet above the huge "bowl" 

 of water and watched the little stream 

 fall into it. The large flat stones on 

 which they stood were evidently a river 

 bed, and although that day the stream 

 of water was small, one could easily 

 imagine that after a hard rain the water 

 rushed through this little gorge and 

 filled it from side to side. The course 

 over the fall and into the basin, worn 

 out of rock, was its only outlet as at 

 this point the hills rose abruptly to a 

 great height on both sides. Here on a 

 flat stone surrounded by natural seats, 

 the tableciloth was laid and the lunch 

 spread out. A little further up the 

 stream a gentleman had built a fire and 

 w^as roasting potatoes and eggs for two 

 hungry boys. 



As the time for returning drew near, 

 the party, remembering the old adage, 

 "The going is easy; the task, getting 

 back," decided not to return by the way 

 they had come, for if the going up the 

 hill should prove harder than the com- 

 ing down, there were certain members 

 of the party who did not care to under- 

 take it. And so they returned home 

 along the little canyon, following the 

 stream of water where it had not en- 

 tirely disappeared from sight. The chil- 

 dren climbed the hills and returned with 

 their arms full of ferns of many varie- 

 ties. There were the Maiden-hair, cof- 

 fee fern. Golden-back, Rock, Sword and 

 Shield ferns. In many of the trees huge 

 nests made of leaves and sticks, the 

 homes of the wood rats, excited their 

 curiosity, while a handsome robin red- 

 breast, gorging himself with the red 

 berries of the pepper tree, brought forth 

 a cry of admiration. There were spar- 

 rows — the handsome white crowned 

 ones — brown to-whees, linnets, blackbirds, 

 dainty little humming birds whizzing by, 

 while those scavengers, the buzzards, 

 soared slowly over head. A little lake 

 surrounded by trees and peopled with 

 frogs, was also one of the attractions 

 of the day, which had been a most 

 enjoyable one,, long to be remembered 

 by those who shared its pleasures. 



Harriet AA'illiams Myers. 



