"Waiting for me, girls?" called Anne, joining her friends.
"We just got back from the barn," said Eleanor, showing the habits which she had over her arms.
"Well, take them to the room and change your shoes. We must wear flat-heeled boots for walking about this place, you know," returned Anne, noting that Eleanor carried both habits—doing her sister's work for her, as usual.
"Good gracious! I forgot to unpack1 the walking shoes. Won't these Cuban heels answer?" cried Barbara, impatiently.
"They might answer for a twisted ankle," laughed Anne.
"Then we'll postpone2 the walk till to-morrow," said Barbara, decisively.
"Not me! I'm going to the cliffs if I walk bare-footed. In fact, I'm not so sure but that will be the most delightful3 thing to do," said Eleanor, sitting down to unbutton her high-heeled shoes.
"Nolla! Stop disgracing us so!" cried Barbara, shocked.
"Well, I want to see those cliffs at close range. If you start for home to-morrow—or maybe this afternoon, if you find the cliffs disappointing—I can at least take back the remembrance of the wonderful spot," pouted4 Eleanor.
To avoid the usual argument between the sisters, Anne quickly made a suggestion. "Bob's feet seem to be about the same size as mine, and she can have my tennis shoes for this walk."
"And Polly's feet look about my size! Why can't I borrow a pair of her country shoes?" added Eleanor, eagerly.
"Nolla! Your feet are very slim while Polly's are broad as are most country girls. You would ruin your feet in clumsy shoes," exclaimed Barbara.
Polly looked appealingly at her mother, so she came to the rescue. "I have always been very careful of Polly's feet, as I can see no advantage in ruining a child's feet, hence you will find Polly's shoes are made by a first-class shoemaker."
"Do they have such things in Oak Creek5?" came sarcastically6 from
Barbara.
"Do they have them in Denver and Chicago?" retorted Anne.
"Naturally—in Chicago. To meet the need for our class." And Barbara tossed her head defiantly7.
"Polly, run and find those last shoes we had made on the scientific last plan," came from Mrs. Brewster.
Polly vanished and Anne ran to her room for the tennis shoes. Barbara walked away and stood on the terrace looking at the far-off peaks. Eleanor and Mrs. Brewster glanced at each other, and finding a similar expression in each other's eyes, both smiled. Thereafter a better understanding existed between the two.
"Staring up at white-topped mountains ought to be good and elevating for you, Bob," began Eleanor, teasingly, when Anne returned.
"Here, Bob, try them on," suggested Anne, holding out her brand new tennis shoes.
Then Polly returned with a neat pair of boots with good extension soles. Eleanor took them, turned down the top and looked at the label. She threw back her head and laughed mockingly.
"What a blow to Bob's pride in the Maynard feet! Here we have to come to Pebbly9 Pit and find our pet label in Polly's shoes. I'm sure the Maynards will change cobblers hereafter!"
Every one laughed at Eleanor, but Barbara occupied herself with trying on Anne's tennis shoes. Eleanor sat down upon the grass and soon had on Polly's common-sense shoes.
"They fit to a dot!" exclaimed she, holding out one foot to verify her statement.
"Well, then, if you feel you can wear them comfortably, do let's start before some other delay occurs," said Barbara, petulantly10.
The four young folks started on the trail that wound about the cliffs, and Mrs. Brewster went indoors to cook some old-fashioned doughnuts—a large stone crock of which was always kept in the pantry.
The walk seemed very long to Barbara, who was unaccustomed to much walking, but the other three girls reveled in the exhilarating air and bright morning sunshine. Reaching the first cliffs, Polly explained about the volcanoes of that section of Colorado and showed the visitors many interesting formations of lava11.
They were about to continue to the Giant Guards, when Barbara complained of aching feet. She declared it was the rough trail and not her tender feet that caused the pain and ache. So the girls sat down to rest, while Polly told of trips to other volcanic12 craters13 and peaks. They were about to start on their way again, when the echoes of a lively whistle sounded over the lava walls.
"It's Jeb going to the corral to find our horses for this afternoon," explained Polly, leaning out over a fragment of lava to see who was passing by. But Jeb did not pass. He called loudly for his young mistress. "Miss Pol-lee—Ah got sumthin fer you-all!"
"Come up here, Jeb! We're resting on the Giant Guards!" shouted Polly.
Soon Jeb appeared on the edge of the cliffs and held out a huge paper bag that had great grease-spots here and there on its sides and bottom.
"Yer Maw hed me bring these dunnits t' you-all, ez Ah come by. She sez fer you-all t' let me have anudder one, too."
"Oh, they are still warm!" exclaimed Eleanor, as Polly handed her one from the bag.
"Shore! But that makes 'em tas' better!" declared Jeb, anxiously watching Polly hand one to Anne next, and one to Barbara, before remembering him.
"They're horribly greasy15 things," said Barbara, holding the doughnut fastidiously with the tip ends of her fingers.
"Mebbe folks'd call 'em by anudder name ef no grease war used t' cook 'em by. Ah likes 'em, howsomeever, grease an' all!" returned Jeb, grinning with relief as Polly gave him two large ones.
"Um! But they're good!" Eleanor smacked16 her lips at the first bite.
"I can't eat mine—they look so impossible!" And Barbara raised her hand and threw her doughnut over the cliff.
"Oo-ah!" came from Jeb in dismay, but he hurriedly left the girls.
Polly was surprised, too, but she merely said: "We never waste anything worth while. The chickens and pigs like doughnuts—if we ever have any left for them."
Anne had to turn away to hide a smile, and at that moment she saw Jeb at the foot of the cliff, glancing up to see if any one saw him pick up the discarded delicacy17 from the ground.
The incident over the doughnut silenced Polly as she led the way between the two giant peaks of lava. They reared their heads more than sixty feet high and were so oddly shaped that they derived18 their names of "Giant Guards" from the spears seemingly held out from the shoulders to challenge passersby19.
The trail leading between the Guards was not more than six feet wide but immediately after passing them, one reached a semi-circle of cliffs standing8 about a natural arena20. Opposite the trail that opened on this arena, a narrow canyon21 descended22 gradually away out of sight.
"These cliffs forming the rim23 of the bowl are called the 'Imps24' Tombstones.' If you examine them closer, you will find they have queer faces and all sorts of strange patterns traced on their bodies," explained Polly, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"This bowl—as Polly calls it—is as large as Yale Campus, isn't it?" said Eleanor, hoping to, establish conversation.
"Everything about Pebbly Pit is on a large scale—even the hearts of the owners," added Anne, patting Polly on the back.
"Pardon me for differing, Anne—not the feet of the owners," laughed
Eleanor, sending a teasing look at her sister.
"Mother says this bowl seems to have been a small crater14 belonging to the great pit yonder, when the volcano was active in the centuries long gone by," explained Polly, as the others ignored Eleanor's remark.
"These Imps certainly are strange formations! Some with arms flung high as if in defense25, others crouching26 low as if to launch an arrow at the enemy. And see those—erect with proud mien27, in defiance28 of all others. They must have been unvanquished," said Anne, interesting Barbara in spite of her assumed indifference29.
"I just guess they weren't so cold and rusty-brown when the old demon30 spit fire at them from the active volcano," said Eleanor, gazing aloft at the grotesque31 heads with facial forms.
"Nolla! I beg of you to use better English! You know how mother trembles at your picked-up words from brother!" rebuked32 Barbara, seemingly shocked at her sister.
"What a tale these Imps could tell us of remote ages when they were flung aside as useless in the evolution of things!" said Anne, diverting a possible argument.
"I say, Anne, why wouldn't this place give you 'atmosphere' for that story you want to write, some day?" exclaimed Eleanor, unexpectedly.
Anne flushed and Polly looked at her in surprise. Barbara seemed amazed, too.
"Is this something I never heard of?" asked the latter.
"Oh, no; I once said to Nolla that I should love to be able to write a story, and she assured me I could do it. She is only teasing, as usual," laughed Anne, and at the first opportunity, she managed to give Eleanor a smart rap on the shoulder for her breach33 of confidence.
Leaving the Imps behind, Polly took the trail that led to the "Devil's Causeway"—the ravine that cleft35 two towering peaks of lava. This chasm36 descended abruptly37 to a depth of over five hundred feet and then as abruptly ascended38 to the level of the distant end of the trail, where it brought one to the ridge39 that over-looked Bear Forks Valley.
"Do you want to go through the Devil's Causeway?" asked Polly.
"Oh, by all means!" exclaimed Anne.
"I wish we had thought of bringing the camera," said Barbara.
"We will some other day. Now let us see the best views to get," quickly replied Anne, glad to hear Barbara express herself favorably.
"You people go down into that yawning grave, while I sit here and plot out a preface for Anne's book," said exhausted40 Eleanor, selecting a bowlder where she could sit and see far and wide.
"I'd just as soon stay with Eleanor while you two go down and back again," ventured Polly.
"All right; Bob and I will see what's to be seen and be back shortly," agreed Anne, starting down the trail.
The two young girls sat high upon the lava bowlder while Polly pointed41 out different familiar spots and mountain peaks. Then Eleanor turned and looked curiously42 at her companion.
"Does your father own all of this great estate free and clear?" asked she.
"Free and clea............