l get more
than their share this year, and they deserve it, for they have worked
best. You may go an hour earlier, but that is all," and Mr. Bhaer led
Rob to his place where the little man dashed at his books as if bent on
making sure of the precious hour promised him.

It was almost maddening to sit still and see the wind shaking down the
last nuts, and the lively thieves flying about, pausing now and then to
eat one in his face, and flirt their tails, as if they said, saucily,
"We'll have them in spite of you, lazy Rob." The only thing that
sustained the poor child in this trying moment was the sight of
Teddy working away all alone. It was really splendid the pluck and
perseverance of the little lad. He picked and picked till his back
ached; he trudged to and fro till his small legs were tired; and he
defied wind, weariness, and wicked "quillies," till his mother left
her work and did the carrying for him, full of admiration for the kind
little fellow who tried to help his brother. When Rob was dismissed, he
found Teddy reposing in the bushel-basket quite used up, but unwilling
to quit the field; for he flapped his hat at the thieves with one grubby
little hand, while he refreshed himself with the big apple held in the
other.

Rob fell to work and the ground was cleared before two o'clock, the nuts
safely in the corn-barn loft, and the weary workers exulted in their
success. But Frisky and his wife were not to be vanquished so easily;
and when Rob went up to look at his nuts a few days later he was amazed
to see how many had vanished. None of the boys could have stolen them,
because the door had been locked; the doves could not have eaten them,
and there were no rats about. There was great lamentation among the
young Bhaers till Dick said,

"I saw Frisky on the roof of the corn-barn, may be he took them."

"I know he did! I'll have a trap, and kill him dead," cried Rob,
disgusted with Frisky's grasping nature.

"Perhaps if you watch, you can find out where he puts them, and I may
be able to get them back for you," said Dan, who was much amused by the
fight between the boys and squirrels.

So Rob watched and saw Mr. and Mrs. Frisky drop from the drooping elm
boughs on to the roof of the corn-barn, dodge in at one of the little
doors, much to the disturbance of the doves, and come out with a nut in
each mouth. So laden they could not get back the way they came, but
ran down the low roof, along the wall, and leapi