like birds at the open door of a cage in which they had been
imprisoned. The Judge watched them with smiling satisfaction as they
cast puzzled glances from side to side, meeting nothing but shoulders
and angles and ridges of the mountains heaving over each other in huge
green waves that seemed to be endless, and to crowd close to each
other, though many a lovely valley lay between, little dreamed of by
the wondering children.

"Well, then, tell me how you expect to get out, little ones?" repeated
the Judge.

"Sure enough, how?" repeated Isabel, drawing back, and looking from
the Judge to Mrs. Farnham.

But Mary was still gazing abroad. Her eyes wandered from hill to hill,
and grew more and more luminous as each new beauty broke upon her. At
last she drew back with a deep breath, and the loveliest of human
smiles upon her face.

"Indeed, sir, indeed I shouldn't care if we never did get out, the
river would be company enough."

"Yes, company enough," replied the Judge, smiling. "But would it feed
us when we are hungry?"

"It don't seem as if I ever should be hungry here," replied the child.

"But I am hungry now," replied Enoch Sharp; "and so is Mrs. Farnham,
I dare say!"