this morning. We couldn't bring that in, you know, for fear of waking
the folks. So Kent wrote you a letter."

The work went on splendidly. They were all in fine haying trim, and the
cocks in the rough little field were tossed briskly into the rack.
There were three loads, and the last one was safely stowed in the haymow
before the little old lady in the house had stirred up her breakfast
cake.

[Illustration: They were all in fine haying trim.]

"I hope she won't discover anything before we get away," Old Tilly said.
"It would be such fun to have it a reg'lar surprise!"

"Wouldn't it!" cried Jot.

"But she might think somebody'd come along in the night and stole it,
don't you see?" Kent objected.

"No, sir, I don't see. I guess she'd see our trail. And besides, look
up there in the mow! It doesn't look just exactly as it did before we
began!"

A few minutes after the boys had glided away on their wheels, the little
old lady hurried into "pa's" room.

"Pa, pa, it's all in, jest as nice as a new pin! Every spear's in!" she
cried delightedly. "Them three boys did it before breakfast. I knew
what they was up to, but I wasn't goin' to spoil their little surprise!
I guess I know how boys like surprises. Don't you remember how Hilary
an' Eben got the potatoes all dug that time an' surprised you? How
innocent their little faces looked when you said, 'Hum-suz-a-day! how it
makes my back ache thinkin' o' those potatoes!' Joey was a tittle thing
in kilts, but he helped. He tugged 'em in, in his own little basket--I
can see jest how proud he looked! But I evened up a little on the
surprise. I guess when they come to open them bicycle baskets they'll
see some things in the way of apple-pie that was not there earlier!"

All the morning the boys wondered at the stream of wagons traveling
their way. Then just at noon they found out what it meant. They came
round a sharp curve in the road upon a beautiful grove on the shore of a
lake. It was gay with flags and the bright dresses of women and
children. Here and there an awning or tent dotted the green spaces.
People were bustling about in all directions, laughing and shouting to
each other, and every few minutes there were new arrivals.

"Hark! there's a band o' music! It's a circus!" cried Kent, excitedly.
Jot had disappeared somewhere in the crowd.

"No-o, not a circus," Old Tilly said doubtfully. "It's some kind of a
big picnic. See, there's a kin