THE WALK THROUGH THE WOODS.
The boys left their basket with Daddy Hall, and set out on their return
to the house. "Let us go through the woods," said Thomas, and they all
walked toward a thick wood which stood not far from the hill, near which
Daddy Hall's house was built. They were glad to reach its cool shade;
for the sun was now getting warm. Samuel saw a number of birds among the
branches, that he did not know the names of; and many bright little
flowers were growing in the shade, among the roots of oak and beech
trees. A little distance in the wood, they reach a small rock, near
which some large stones were lying, as if they had been thrown together.
Thomas stopped, and said, "Samuel, this is the place where we killed a
big snake last spring. You can see his hole under this rock. John and I
tried hard to move these loose stones, but we could not. I dare say
there are snake nests underneath."
"Perhaps we three can move one of them," replied his cousin. They all
caught hold, and at last pulled the stone from its place. There was
nothing underneath, but some old nut shells; but John said he was sure
they would find snakes if they could but move the other stones. After
much pulling, they raised another one; and under it was a large land
tortoise, with several little ones, no larger than a walnut. After
examining these, they observed a hole running under another stone, into
the ground. Samuel also found two or three snake skins, which his
cousins told him the snakes threw off every spring, after which, a new
and larger skin grew on them. They pulled hard at this third stone, but
could not move it; but while they were going away, Thomas said that they
could bring an iron bar some day, and easily root it up.
In the middle of the wood was a fine spring of water, which gushed from
a rock, and then spread out into a little pool, so clear and quiet, that
the smallest stones could be seen at the bottom. Samuel tasted the
water, and found it cold and refreshing. He asked his cousin how so much
water could come out of the rock.
"It does not come from the rock," replied Thomas; "but only runs through
it. Father says, that spring water often comes from the hills and
mountains, running under the ground through cracks and holes in the
rocks, until it finds some outlet. I suppose this water runs down from
the tops of the hills near the iron mine."
"But this is not rain water," said his cousin. "It neither tastes nor
looks like it."
"It has become changed while passing under the ground," replied Thomas.
"After a heavy shower the water soaks into the earth until it reaches
the sand, or rock underneath, then it runs through every little crack
down the hill, and under the ground to some place like this where it can
escape. The sand and gravel, which it meets with, make it pure and the
lime and other substances of the rocks, alter its taste."
[Illustration]