"Your brother!" exclaimed Miss Gladden and Houston, "What! coming here among the mountains?"

"Yes," he replied, "he happened to be in New York when Van Dorn got back, and from his description of the place, and mine, he says he would like to see it. He is coming out to the coast by another route, and wants me to meet him in San Francisco, and then we will stop here on our return."

"Then you are coming back again," said Miss Gladden; "that will be lovely, and we will be delighted to meet your brother with you."

"Indeed we will," added Houston cordially, "what time do you expect to be here, Ned?"

"My brother wants to get here, he says, in about six or eight weeks, so it will probably be some time in August."

Lyle had said nothing, but had listened to the conversation, a thoughtful, far-away look stealing into her eyes; and the rest of the boarders arriving just then, nothing more was said on the subject.

Haight greeted Houston with his usual smiling politeness, but Morgan looked sullen, and Mr. Blaisdell was gloomy and taciturn. Haight's influence was working, and he could afford to smile. Lyle was quick to note the situation, and also to detect in Haight's face an expression of ill-concealed triumph, and as their eyes met, he read that in her face that boded no good to himself.

CHAPTER XXII.

Mr. Blaisdell having returned to the city that same day, everything went forward in the same regular routine as prior to Houston's absence, and evening found the four friends seated on the summit of an immense rocky pile, watching the grand and rugged scenery surrounding them illumined by the glowing colors of the sunset sky. They had been talking of Rutherford's intended trip to the coast, when Miss Gladden said:

"Mr. Houston, how early can you join us to-morrow afternoon? We are going to have a little picnic party of four, in honor of your return, and also to give Mr. Rutherford pleasant memories of his last days among the mountains."

"Oh," said Rutherford, "now I understand; I've wondered what you ladies were so mysterious about all day; you've been holding secret sessions and making cabalistical signs to each other all the afternoon. Well, as this picnic is partly on my account, I'm sure I feel flattered and shall be delighted to attend. Houston, old boy, when can we look for you?"

"I think, considering the importance of the occasion, I can be ready to join you at three o'clock," replied Houston, while the ladies expressed their approval.

"There seems to have been a great deal of mysterious consultation about this affair," remarked Rutherford, "what is the program for to-morrow?"

"Well," said Miss Gladden, "for one thing, we must have plenty of music; have neither of you gentlemen any musical instruments with you?"

"Not I," replied Houston, while Rutherford answered, laughing, "I have a banjo that I brought along to amuse myself with in case I got lonesome, but I've had no use for it so far, I've had such good company here."

"A very graceful compliment, thank you," said Miss Gladden, smiling, "but bring the banjo by all means, we will have use for it to-morrow, and I have just thought of something else for the occasion,--but I'm not going to divulge all my plans, we must keep something for a surprise, mustn't we, Lyle?"

Lyle laughed merrily; "I'm not going to tell a single plan of mine; you will all find when we reach the place, what a mountain picnic means."

"But can we not even know where we are going?" asked Rutherford, with a tragic air.

"You would not know if I should tell you," responded Lyle, "we are going to Sunset Park."

"Sunset Park!" they exclaimed, "where is that?"

"Is it in any way connected with the Sunrise mine of recent fame?"

inquired Houston.

"No," replied Lyle, "it is across the lake; you remember the landing I showed you among the rocks? You follow the broad trail leading up the mountains, and you will come to a beautiful plateau on the west side, as level as a floor,--but I'm not going to tell you about it, you must first see it for yourselves."

The next morning, immediately after breakfast, while Houston still stood talking with Miss Gladden and Rutherford, the graceful form of Lyle suddenly darted past them, her face nearly concealed by an enormous sunbonnet.

"Lyle, you gypsy, where are you going?" called Miss Gladden.

For answer, she turned and waved her hand with a merry laugh, then ran, fleet-footed as a deer, to the edge of the lake, and unfastening one of the little boats, was in it and rowing out upon the lake as dextrously as a professional oarsman, before those watching her could even guess her intentions.

"Great Caesar! but that girl can row!" exclaimed Rutherford, with all the enthusiastic admiration of a newly graduated collegian.

"Where is the child going?" asked Houston.

"Probably to the picnic ground," said Miss Gladden, "but what for, I cannot imagine."

The sunbonnet was waved saucily in the air, and then instead of steering for the landing place as they expected, the boat suddenly disappeared around a corner of the rocks, in the opposite direction, while there came ringing out on the air, in mocking tones, the words of the old song:

"I saw the boat go 'round the bend."

No one saw Lyle when she returned, a couple of hours later, and not even Miss Gladden knew that she was in the house until she made her appearance at the dinner table, with a very demure face, exceedingly pink fingers, and wearing an air of deep mystery that no amount of joking could diminish.

After dinner, Lyle made two or three trips across the lake, carrying mysterious baskets and dishes. In one of these journeys she was intercepted by Miss Gladden, who was lying in wait for her, and who, tempted by the delightful aroma, lifted the cover of one of her dishes.

"Strawberries!" she exclaimed, "and wild ones! Where did you get them, Lyle? They are the first I have seen out here."

"They are the first that have ripened," she replied, "I went over to the gulch for them this morning, but don't say anything about them,"

she added, as she stepped into the boat with her treasures, "I'm going to cache them until they are needed."

"Going to do what?" said Miss Gladden.

"Going to 'cache' them, hide them away among the rocks," she replied laughing, and, taking the oars, she was soon speeding across the lake.

It was a merry party that started out two or three hours later.

Houston carried the banjo, as Rutherford had his precious camera and a lot of plates, having declared his intention of immortalizing the occasion by taking a number of views for the benefit of their posterity. Miss Gladden had her guitar, and to the great astonishment of the gentlemen, Lyle appeared, carrying a fine old violin. It was Mike's, which she had borrowed for the occasion at the suggestion of Miss Gladden, and in reply to the expressions of wonder from the gentlemen, Miss Gladden said:

"This is the surprise I planned for you, but wait till you have heard her; I never heard her myself until a day or two ago."

With song and laughter they crossed the lake, and having reached the landing place among the rocks and fastened their boats, proceeded up the mountain. Here they found a flight of natural stone steps, at the head of which a broad trail wound around the mountain, until, having pa.s.sed a huge, shelving rock, they suddenly found themselves on a plateau, broad, gra.s.sy, and, as Lyle had said, "as level as a floor."

Groups of large evergreens afforded a refreshing shade. Underneath the trees an immense, flat rock, covered with a snowy table-cloth and trimmed with vines and flowers, gave hint of some of the more substantial pleasures to be looked for later. At a distance gleamed the silvery cascades, their rainbow-tinted spray rising in a perpetual cloud of beauty. Far below could be seen the winding, canyon road, while above and beyond, on all sides, the mountains reared their glistening crests against the sky.

For a time they gave themselves up to the enjoyment of the scene, till, at Miss Gladden's suggestion, the tuning of the various instruments began, interspersed with jokes and merry, rippling laughter. Amidst the general merriment, Houston, with an air of great gravity, produced from his pocket the different parts of a flute, which he proceeded to fit together, saying:

"When you were speaking last evening about the music for to-day I had entirely forgotten the existence of this flute, but after we went to our room, Ned persisted in practicing on that unmusical instrument of his, and in searching in my trunk for a weapon of self defense, I found this, and it answered my purpose so well then, I brought it with me to-day."

The music was a success, and it seemed as though the musicians would never grow weary, but when, at Miss Gladden's request, Lyle sang "Kathleen Mavourneen," her sweet, rich tones blending with the wild, plaintive notes of the violin, her listeners again seemed entranced by the witchery of the music, as on the night when first they heard her sing, and were only aroused by the sound of hearty, prolonged cheering from the canyon below.

Looking over the edge of the plateau, they discovered a party of about a dozen people, in a wagon drawn by six horses, who had stopped to listen to the music, and give their panting animals a chance to rest.

Behind them was a line of three or four pack mules, laden with tents, cooking utensils and bedding.

"A camping party!" exclaimed Lyle, "the first of the season; they are on their way to Strawberry gulch."

On catching sight of the group above on the plateau, the ladies below began waving their handkerchiefs, and the gentlemen were loud in their cheers and calls for more music.