THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 43 



Tom went in, and soon returned with a piece of pink net- 

 ting, and Annie cut it into the right shape for the hoop. 



•' Now tell me," said she, " where you have been." 



" Well," said Tom, " I went into the Rail Swamp and 

 found the small butterflies thick enough. Just as I was 

 following some little red ones, a blue speck darted past 

 me, and I gave chase. It flew over the wall, and I 

 tumbled over after it. Then it flew back to the Swamp 

 again, and back I went too. The perverse thing fluttered 

 back and forth until I had knocked the skin all off my 

 knees jumping after it." 



"Johnny says he always waits," said Annie, "until he 

 is sure the butterfly really means to go over the wall 

 before he follows it. When he sees it fairly start ofl", then 

 he is after it in a hurry." 



" I '11 wait next time, see if I don't ! " said Tom. 



" Did you catch the butterfly after all .'' " asked Annie. 



" O no. It suddenly darted off over the swamp, and I 

 after it. I splashed through the pool where the Rhodora 

 grows and tumbled over the old wall into the next pasture. 

 The butterfly had lighted on a bush and sat folding up 

 its beautiful blue wings so quietly that I was sure of 

 catching it. I plunged forward among the low bushes, 

 when suddenly down I went on my knees in a ditch half 

 full of muddy water. A branch of a high blueberry-bush 

 went through my net and pulled it out of my hand, and 



