184 ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS 
until at length the brook grew so shallow and 
came tumbling down such a steep place, over 
rocks and over great hemlock roots, that they 
could swim no more, but had to wade and climb. 
This was all new to Brownie and the other chil- 
dren, who had never been beyond the lake. The 
cold, clear, sweet mountain water was new to 
them, and the great, cool, deep forest overhead, 
through which Pa Otter was leading the way so 
cautiously, ever alert and watchful now, for the 
deep pools were few and far between in which 
they could find sure refuge from danger. At last 
the pools grew so shallow that it seemed as if the 
brook were in danger of disappearing, and Pa 
ordered a halt till night, before they hazarded the 
land crossing. The family scattered to hunt 
trout in the shadows under the hemlock roots, 
where the cold water lay still and brown. 
Brownie found splashing around in one of these 
pools after a trout rare sport, though the fish was 
hardly a mouthful when you got him. 
At twilight the march was resumed. The 
brook did, presently, disappear altogether, seem- 
ing to shrink into mossy springs in the mountain- 
