ive pastures which were situated round the shores
of Duncan's pond. "Old Joe" welcomed the party, and put up the horses,
while the boys pulled out the baskets from beneath the wagon-seats, and
made ready for the nutting.

But Master Charlie was not yet rid of his sulks, and would not stir from
the wagon. He wanted to go home, he said; he didn't care for nuts, and
would not go with his companions. In vain did his sister entreat, Mr.
Sherwood command, and Jessie try her coaxing powers. Little Will, the
celebrated child-conqueror, was playing the tyrant over him; and the
unhappy boy gave himself up, hand and foot, to his enemy. He would not
quit the wagon.

"Never mind! leave him where he is, until his good-nature comes back, if
he has any," said Mr. Sherwood.

"I am afraid he will get into mischief after we are gone, if we do that,"
said Guy. "Perhaps I had better stay here and mind him."

"You shall do no such thing with my consent, Guy. Go with the rest, and
I'll put this cross urchin in charge of Mr. Bunker," replied Mr. Sherwood.
Then turning to the old sailor, he added:

"Look here, Mr. Bunker! We have a little bear in our wagon, that don't
seem to like nuts. Will you keep your eye on him while we go into the
pastures?"

"Ay, ay, Sir," said Old Joe, giving his waistband a hitch. "I'll keep a
bright lookout for him."

Leaving Charlie under the old sailor's care, the party now set out in
search of nuts. Laughter and pleasant words beguiled both time and
distance, and for the next two hours they wandered over the pastures, and
picked up an abundance of butternuts, which several pretty hard frosts,
followed by strong breezes, had scattered plentifully on the ground, or
prepared to fall quite readily from the trees.

In the course of the afternoon, the party separated into little groups,
and when it was nearly time to return to the wagon, it happened that
Jessie and her cousin, lured by the sight of a large butternut-tree in the
distance, found themselves apart from all the rest. Near the tree was an
old stone-quarry, with numerous lakelets in the hollows from which the
stone had been removed. Emily stepped into the quarry, and looked all
around. The lakelets, swept by the light breeze, charmed her eye, and
turning to her cousin, she cried:

"Jessie, come here! Here are some tiny ponds. Come look at them!"

Jessie joined Emily, and together the little girls stepped over the uneven
rocks until they reached one