The Louisa Alcott Reader

ttling arrows one fine day. Said one

somethin

t. What w

the woods an

can we

and f

there ain't a

ot squirrels and

ot any gun

and I found an old

will w

one we can roast the squirrels and c

l you get

hes in my

f things we could

ious Billy displayed his treasure

s, nails, matches, a piece of putty, fis

h the jolly basket of lunch Mrs. Mullin gave us, we can get o

d Billy, who liked to be com

are afraid, stay at home; I'm going to have no end of a good time." And Tom

jumping down Billy caught up his rod,

"running away" might be all right, both raced down the road, tumbled over a wal

anted Billy, when at las

eal hunters and have adventures; so we must get lost, and find our way by the sun and the stars," answered Tommy, who had read so ma

e really get lost?" asked Billy

s. She lets me

o keep the lively little fellow in order, and had got used

reful. But I guess I'll risk it, and have some fun to tell about when we g

e bears, the big barn, the trout brook, the thirty colts at pasture, and the society of the few little girls and younger boys at t

ks splashing over the rocks, or lying in brown pools under the ferns. Squirrels chattered and raced in the tall pines; now and then a gray rabbit skipped out of sight amo

ast in a little dell where a noisy brook came tumblin

est and eat our lunch," said Billy,

resting," answered sturdy Tommy, w

ully; for good Mrs. Mullin had packed a nice lunch of bread and butter, cake and peaches

looked in, for all he saw was a box

et. This is Mullin's, and he's gone

a hurry to start. What shall we do now without anything to eat?

berries. Which will you do, old cry-baby?" said

ound after berries. I don't love 'em, either." A

ket and pile up their few possessions in a heap. "There's a quiet pool below here, you go and fish there. I'll pi

water so crossly, it was a wonder any trout came to his hook. But the fat worms tempted several small ones, and he cheered up at the prospect o

e said, as the flames went crackling up,

; no frying-pan," grumbled Billy, throwing down

tick. I'll show you how," said cheerful Tommy, whittling away, and

ngry boys. But they were very different from the nice brown ones Mrs. Mullin gave them; for in spite of Tommy's struggles they would fall in the ashes, and th

e got a rabbit or something," said Tommy, when the last bone was polished. "You go and ca

ack to the brook, wishing with all his might h

poor Billy get; and he was just falling asleep when a loud shout g

's a bouncer," roared Tommy, fr

he prize was. He found Tommy dancing wildly round a fat gray animal, who was fighti

d a tree as fast as possible, for the th

I guess the other fellows will wish they'd come with us." said Tommy,

r run away and wait til

so we'll have to leave him awhile, and get him when we come back. But he's a real

ungry Billy, ready for a fried

oks don't seem to have caught any. He's nice and fat; we might try him when he's de

ing through the wood ga

ot this chap; then we needn't wait, bu

ied away in the direction of the sound, feeling glad to know that some one wa

y find the man, resting in an old hut left by the lumbermen. The remains of his dinner were spread on the floor

efore him,--one grinning cheerfully, the other looking very dismal and

" said

answere

you?" ask

s," sai

ck?" And the

trap, and we want you to come and

n, looking interest

t I thi

's he

isappointed when the man lay down a

dchuck; he'

want th

tter for the skin," said the man, who was tir

e sandwiches and bread and cheese on the floor,

asked the man, see

tle trout and some old berries since breakfast," answere

want the stuff." And the man took up

tes nothing was left but the napkin; and the boys sat p

you are a long way from town," said the man, who had peeped at them over his paper

e want to have some sport first. You seem to have done well," answered Tommy, looking envio

him; for he kills the sheep, and might hurt some of the young folks round here," said the man,

ommy's brown face beamed wi

don't have those here, and bears are scarce. Mullin said he hadn't heard of one for

bear, but thought the idea of one would send the little fellows home at once.

rs couldn't rough it with us, and we can't leave him alone; so go ahead your own way. O

like it. A real gun and dog and hunter! Come on, an

want to. I don't think much of hunting anyway, and wish I hadn't come," growle

eatherstocking," said the man, striding off with the dear gun and dog and bag, leaving Billy to

cky gets on," he said good-na

ay; then we'll go home before it's late," answered lazy Bill

girl," sighed Tommy, walking off to a pine-tree where some squirrels seemed

ast with the sharpest arrow. The poor thing fluttered and fell, and its blood wet the green leaves as it lay dying on the grass. Tommy was much pleased at first; but as he stood watching i

hickens, and I won't brag about this one. It was so

making a little grave under the pine, buried it wrapped in green leaves, and le

p he'll say I ought to have kept the poor bird to eat," thought Tommy, as he went back to the

and tumbled down, turned back and went round, looked at the sun and knew it was late, chewed sassafras bark and checkerberry leaves for supper, and grew more and more

ey when the last faint shot came up to them. Billy cried, and reproached Tommy for proposing to ru

d hardly walk, and longed to lie down anywhere to sleep; but, remembering the hunter's story of the bear, they were afraid to do it,

ly went up first, and creeping into a good notch of the bare tree tried to sleep, while brave Tommy, armed with a big stick, marched to and fro below. Every few min

climbed to a lower branch, and sat nodding and trying to keep watch, till he too fell

haking and howling waked Tommy so suddenly that he lo

my, Tommy, come and make him let go," cried Bi

ling from a bough, high above the ground, caught by his belt when he fell. He had been dreaming of bears, and rolled off his perch; s

illy could not reach to undo it, nor could he get his legs round the branch to pull himself up. There seemed no way but to unbuckle the belt and drop. That he was afraid to try; for the grou

ot done for him, and Tommy was in despair, when they thought they heard a far-off

down that way," cried Billy from h

oller louder, and bring 'em up here," answered Tommy, glad to do

The bear might come! Don't go! don't go!"

Hold on, and we'll soon get you down," answered Tommy, rushing away helter-ske

ambled over rocks, leaped fallen trunks, floundered through brooks, and climbed down steep places, till, with a reckless jump, he went heels over head into a deep hole, and

of daze, too tired to know or care about anything, only dimly conscious that somebod

the moon showed him where he was. But it was too deep, and he was too stiff with weariness and the fall

lives; and as Tommy lay on the leaves used up by his various struggles, he thought of all the stories he had lately heard at the farm, and began to wonder how it would feel to starve to death down there, and to wish poo

and it isn't very cold. I always wanted to sleep out, and now I'm doing it. Wish poor Billy was safely down and in this good bed with me. Won't he be scared all alone there? Maybe the belt

ught some one answered. But it must have been an echo, for no one came; and after another rampage round his p

n his return to the hotel had reported meeting the runaways and his effort to send them home in good season; so people knew where to look, and, led by the man and dog, up the mountain went Mr. Mullin with his troop. It was a mild night, and the moon shone high and clear; so the hunt was, on the whole, rather easy and pleasant at fir

ugh the blasted grove. "He's a boy after my own heart, spry as a chipmunk, smart as a young cockerel, and as full of mischief as a monke

t the lively fellow with me, and shown him how to hunt. Sorry now I didn't take them

ed, like Moses Warner, when he was lost," suggest

may have found 'em," said the farmer, hurrying toward the

d fear. The belt had slipped up under his arms, so he could breathe easily

d climbed up, and, unhooking Billy, handed him down

e other one. I'll warrant he went for help, and may be half-way home by

niffed about, and then set off with his nose to the ground, following the zigzag track Tommy had taken in his h

e to the bear-pit, an

ushing on soon saw the good beast looking down at a

and for a moment the men stood quite still, fearing that the fall might have done the boy some harm. Then the hunter leaped d

tle chap; you are wanted at home.

lmly as if in his own bed at home. Then the rustle of the leaves, the moonlight in

ar?" he asked, looking up

swered the man, giving Tommy a roll in the leaves,

tree like a coon, and he wouldn't come down," laughed Tommy, k

he boy out of the pit, and went back to join the other wanderer, who was now sit

ly rode on the various broad backs offered for his use, but Tommy stoutly refused to be carried, and with an occasional "boost" over a very rough place, walked all the way down on his own sturdy legs. He was the hero of the adventure, and was never tired of relating how he caught the

out and st

large