could see the pond below them between the steep banks of the through which the brook flowed one of the banks was an almost perpendicular cliff of rock the other was not quite so abrupt and it was covered with trees they could see that down upon the shore of the pond there was a smooth sandy beach extending along the shore on each side of the mouth of the brook proposed that they should stop here pump making well said her mother i think it will be a very good plan yes ma am said robert there is plenty of good grass about here too for hero had not noticed the grass but now she observed that on each side of the road and near the banks of the brook above the bridge there was plenty of grass so they all got out robert began to the horse after driving him a little way out of the road stood on the end of the bridge looking at him her mother began to descend the rocks below the bridge in order to get down to the bed of the brook intending to follow it along to the pond wanted to go with her mother and she also wanted to see robert take care of the horse mother wait for me said i ll go along slowly said her mother but mother said i can t get along unless you help me yes said her mother i think you can at any rate if i find any place where i think you can t get along i will wait for you robert went on his horse he put the several parts of the harness in the wagon as he took them off and at last nothing remained but the bridle robert said are you going to fasten him to a tree no said robert he couldn t eat the grass if i should what are you going to do then said i am going to let him go where he likes among the mountains o robert said then he ll run away no said robert robert then the throat lash and took hold of the bridle at the top of the horse s head and drew it over his ears and off before and then the bits dropped easily out of his mouth and the horse understanding that he was drew his head away he walked off a few steps and then lay down to roll while stood laughing heartily at the awkward figure he made with all his four as she called them in the air i believe he ll run away said no said robert he won t run away and besides i don t believe you can catch him and put his bridle on again yes said robert i ve got some salt in my pocket on purpose had heard of catching birds by salt on their tails and she stood bewildered and perplexed trying to imagine how this method was to be applied to hero when she heard her mother calling her so she turned away from robert and began to descend the bank towards her mother calling out � yes mother i m coming robert carried the bridle to the wagon and put it in and then he pushed the wagon out of the road so that if a team were to come by it would not ru n against it after doing that he followed and her mother down the bank of the stream chapter xiii the return they found a very pleasant place indeed for their luncheon under some rocks at the angle between the of the brook and the shore of the pond they could see the whole surface of the pond and the woods and mountains beyond there was only one house in sight and that was mr s the unfinished end was turned towards them took out a the tin and went to the brook to dip up some water to see if it was cool her mother told her before she went that she had no doubt it was cool found it as her mother had said it was very cool indeed she dipped up full from a little deep place among some stones covered with green moss it looked very cool and it proved to be so on it brought a of it to her mother mother said how did you know it was cool because said her mother become warm when they flow for a long distance across an open country exposed to the rays of the sun but this brook comes directly down from the mountains flowing through the woods all the way so that i think the water could not have had time to get warm among the mountains where does it come from at first said it comes from a spring said her mother i suppose some springs break out of the ground fix m under a rock what makes the spring asked why the water in the mountains above replied her mother presses down in among the rocks and wherever there is a in the rock near the surface of the ground the water comes out but what makes there be water in the mountains above asked it comes fix m rains then i should think that when it had done it would pretty soon stop coming out m the spring no said her mother it takes a gi eat while to drain off the earth and the moss and the roots and the stones hold the water like a great it slowly down and gets into the and and so runs out m a steady stream wherever a or any opening of the rock comes out to the surface still if it has not rained for a very long while the springs begin to grow low and some of them stop running � they staid at this place more than an hour after 