the cellar,
by chance she was in the loft when he reached the kitchen, but she had
kept quiet to enjoy the joke.

Next time the Woodpecker went to the cellar he found a paper with this
on it: "_Notice_ to hostile Injuns--Next time you massacree this
settlement, bring back the pail, and don't leave the covers off the
milk pans."

Yan had followed the fence that ran south of the house. There was
plenty of cover, but he crawled on hands and knees, going right down
on his breast when he came to places more open than the rest. In this
way he had nearly reached the garden when he heard a noise behind and,
turning, he saw Sappy.

"Here, what are you following me for? Your straw pointed the other
way. You ain't playing fair."

"Well, I don't care, I ain't going home. _You_ fixed it up so my
straw would point that way. It ain't fair, an' I won't do it."

"You got no right following me."

"I ain't following you, but you keep going just the place I want to
go. It's you following me, on'y keepin' ahead. I told you I was after
cherries."

"Well, the cherries are that way and I'm going this way, and I don't
want you along."

"You couldn't get me if you wanted me."

"Erh----"

"Erh----"

So Sappy went cherryward and Yan waited awhile, then crawled toward
the fruit garden. After twenty or thirty yards more, he saw a gleam of
red, then under it a bright yellow eye glaring at him. He had chanced
on a hen sitting on her nest. He came nearer, she took alarm and ran
away, not clucking, but cackling loudly. There were a dozen eggs of
two different styles, all bright and clean, and the hen's comb was
bright red. Yan knew hens. This was easy to read: Two stray hens
laying in one nest, and neither of them sitting yet.

"So ho! Straws show which way the hens go."

He gathered up the eggs into his hat and crawled back toward the tree
where all had to meet.

But before he had gone far he heard a loud barking, then yells for
help, and turned in time to see Guy scramble up a tree while Cap, the
old Collie, barked savagely at him from below. Now that he was in no
danger Sappy had the sense to keep quiet. Yan came back as quickly
as possible. The Dog at once recognized and obeyed _him_, but
doubtless was much puzzled to make out why he should be pelted back to
the house when he had so nobly done his duty by the orchard.

"Now, you see, maybe next time you'll do what the medicine straw tells
you. Only for me you'd been caught and