n
the orchard side of the wall, scarcely an apple would be found in the
field.

Addison confessed that he could not understand the matter; Theodora also
thought it a very mysterious thing. The oddity of the circumstance
seemed to make a great impression on her mind. At last she declared that
she was determined to know what became of those Sweets, and asked me to
sit up with her one night and watch, as she thought it would be too dark
and lonesome an undertaking to watch alone.

I agreed to get up at two o'clock on the following morning, if she would
call me, for we wisely concluded that the pilferer came early in the
morning, rather than early in the night, else many apples would have
fallen off into the field after his visit, and have been found by us in
our early visits.

I did not half believe that Theodora would wake in time to carry out
our plan, but at half-past two she knocked softly at the door of my
room. I hastily dressed, and each of us put on an old Army over-coat,
for the morning was foggy and chilly. It was still very dark. We went
out into the garden, felt our way along to a point near the August
Sweeting tree, and sat down on two old squash-bug boxes under the
trellis of a Concord grape-vine, which made a thick shelter and a
complete hiding-place.

For a mortal long while we sat there and watched and listened in
silence, not wishing to talk, lest the rogue whom we were trying to
surprise should overhear us. At intervals Theodora gave me a pinch, to
make sure that I was not asleep. An hour passed, but it was still dark
when suddenly we heard, on the other side of the wall, a slight noise
resembling the sound of footsteps.

Instantly Doad shook my arm. "Sh!" she breathed. "Some one's come! Creep
along and peep over."

I stole to the wall, and then, rising, slowly parted the vine leaves,
and tried to see what it was there. Presently I discerned one, then
another dim object on the ground beyond the wall. They were creeping
about, and I could plainly hear them munch the apples.

Then Theodora peeped. "It's two little bears, I believe," she breathed
in my ear, with her lightest whisper, yet in considerable excitement.
"What shall we do?"

I peeped again. If bears, they were very little ones.

I mustered my courage. As a weapon I had brought an old pitchfork
handle. Scrambling suddenly over the wall, I uttered a shout, and the
dark objects scudded away across the field, making a great scurry over
t