l, they shan't bite Ben!" cried Joel in terror. "Oh! do you suppose
they will?" and he turned right straight around on the stairs, and
looked at Van.

"No," said Van, "they won't bite--what's the matter, Joe?"

"Oh, they may," said Joel, his face working, and screwing both fists
into his eyes; at last he burst right out into a torrent of sobs. "Oh,
don't let 'em Van--don't!"

"Why, they can't," said Van in an emphatic voice, running up the stairs
to Joel's side, frightened to death at his tears.

Then he began to shake his jacket sleeve violently to bring him back to
reason, "Wait Joe! oh, do stop! oh, dear, what shall I do! I tell you,
they can't bite," he screamed as loud as he could into his ear.

"You said--you--hoped--they--would," said Joel's voice in smothered
tones.

"Well, they won't anyway," said Van decidedly. "Cause they're all
stuffed--so there now!"

"Ain't they alive--nor anythin'?" asked Joel, bringing one black eye
into sight from behind his chubby hands.

"No," said Van, "they're just as dead as anything, Joel Pepper--been
dead years! and there's old crabs there too, old dead crabs--and they're
just lovely! Oh, such a lots of eggs as they've got! And there are
shells and bugs and stones--and an awful old crocodile, and--" "Oh,
dear!" sighed Joel, perfectly overcome at such a vision, and sitting
down on the stairs to think. "Well, mamsie'll know where Ben is," he
said, springing up. "And then I tell you Van, we'll just tag 'em!"

"So she will," cried Van. "Why didn't we think of that before? I wanted
to think."

"I did," said Joel. "That was where I was goin'."

Without any more ado they rushed into Mrs. Pepper's big, sunny room,
there to see, seated at the square table between the two large windows,
the two lost ones bending over what seemed to be an object of the
greatest importance, for Polly was hanging over Ben's shoulder with
intense pride and delight, which she couldn't possibly conceal, and
Davie was crowded as near as he could get to Percy's elbow.

Phronsie and little Dick were perched comfortably on the corner of the
table, surveying the whole scene in quiet rapture; and Mrs. Pepper with
her big mending basket, was ensconced over by the deep window seat just
on the other side of the room, underneath Cherry's cage, and looking up
between quick energetic stitches, over at the busy group, with the most
placid expression on her face.

"Oh!--what you doin'?" cried Joel, flying up t