
          493.

seeing a pretty path leading apparently along the crest of the
hillside and towards the ravine, we decided to follow it.  This
path was in many places very pretty and finally brought us to
the main brook of the ravine.  The brook was deep and flowing
rapidly, although it was not very wide; in many places we
could jump across quite easily.  Close to it we built a little
fire and cooked our coffee and here too, under a large pine tree
we ate our dinner.  The banks of the stream were very low and
<s>almost</s> nearly everywhere were almost impenetrable thickets of cat briar.
Close to our camp was a  pine tree which interested us very much.
It had grown on the bank of the stream probably 3 feet from the
water, but from some cause or other it had fallen over and its
large trunk was lying across the stream and the entire upper portion
<s>of the tree</s> excepting <s>its</s>the main stem had long since decayed.
But immediately over the middle
of the stream, one branch deriving nourishment through the prostate trunk,
for it had not been entirely severed in its fall, had grown bold upright
and had already attained a height of about 30 ft. with a trunk <s>now</s>
almost the thickness of the original tree at its point of attachment[note at top of page: diagram of a fallen tree over a stream, ab- fallen tree, s- stream, t- tree]
Near this peculiar tree we found the continuation of our path, so
after dinner,[note at top of page: Before starting we saw a pretty butterfly, the first for this season.] when we were ready to start homeward, we followed
        