to the house. As may be supposed, the tired and dispirited
feeling that oppressed the boys left them in a moment; and then they
displayed the riches of the nest they had found in the bottom of the
hedge, of course making exception of the three eggs Master Fred had
demolished during their search for the kite.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

A DAY'S FISHING AT THE LAKE.

Somehow or another nearly all my chapters begin with what the boys were
doing in the early morning; and, after all, I do not know that I could
begin them at a better time, for really and truly these chapters were
begun early in the bright summer mornings, when the dew was sparkling on
the grass, and all the birds warbling away as though they had a certain
amount of singing to do, and wanted to have it finished before the heat
of the day set in. And now on this particular morning, which, for a
summer morn, is all that can be desired--I mean the morning that I am
about to describe, not this one upon which I am writing--up jumped
Harry, and, as though in dread of some trick being played, up, almost
simultaneously, sprang Philip and Fred; had a good souse in their cold
water basins; and, having hastily dressed, ran down to see that
everything was ready for the projected fishing trip.

There the things were: rods, lines, hooks, winches, landing-net, baits,
ground-bait; in short, everything, from the basket that was to hold the
fish, down to the tiny hook that was to catch them.

Breakfast finished, the dog-cart was brought round to the door and soon
packed with tackle, baits, and baskets; for beside the fish-basket,
there was another one that seemed to go by the rules of contrary, for
whereas the fish-basket went out empty and came back, or ought rather to
have come back, full,--this other basket invariably went out fall, and
as invariably came back empty. There were no half measures about it,
for it always came back according to the same rule. But then it was not
a fish-basket; I don't think it ever did have fish in but once, and then
the fish was pickled--pickled salmon. But it was a capital basket, a
regular cornucopia of a basket, and used to disclose when opened such
treasures as would have gratified any hungry person; and as for the
scent that it exhaled, why the very flies from far enough used to come
buzz-buzzing about, so ravished were they by the rich odour.

Harry brought the basket out to put in the cart, and he gave such a
satisfied grin as he