Page:The heart of Monadnock (IA heartofmonadnock00timl).pdf/36

"No!" he plainly hears them shout gibingly in tinkling notes. "No!" and "No!" and "No!" He is sure from the sound of their scudding footsteps, scurrying over the surface of the water, that they are whirling all hands around; then he guesses that they are breaking ranks and stooping to scoop up water in their slender hands to fling it over him mockingly in radiant spray, as he springs threateningly on a rock in the midst of the Liliputian stream. Those impish nymphs! The saunterer laughs and stooping in his turn he gathers up slippery handfuls of icy amber water and defiantly flings it back at the little waterfall, as it just here loses its footing and slides down on its back over a broad slanting rock, well smoothed by all the myriads of other little cataracts that have lost their own footing in the selfsame spot and have tumbled down in the same ignominious manner. Any normal cataract, big or little, prefers to leap down in its own daring fashion in one swift plunge . . . Frisky, tantalizing little sprites!