THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 23 



night to Annie and Johnny, Rose and the two boys 

 walked up the hill to Mr. Merton's house. 



A few days after this Hal and Tom laid a grand plan, 

 that, as the next day was Saturday, and there would be 

 no school, they would have a hunt for butterflies, and after- 

 wards come home through the Rail Swamp to get some 

 Rhodora and Shad-flowers for Annie. But Saturday morn- 

 ing dawned and the boys were sorry enough to find a 

 heavy rain pouring down, and the dismal prospect before 

 them of spending a day in-doors. After breakfast they 

 sat down and tried to look over Hal's book on butter- 

 flies, to see if they could find out anything more about 

 the big yellow one they were going to hunt for. They 

 read a little while, but the big words puzzled them, and, 

 besides, they were possessed with that restlessness peculiar 

 to boys when they are made to stay in the house against 

 their will. Finally Tom threw the book impatiently on 

 the table. 



" I don't know one word I Ve been reading," said he. 



They then went up stairs to Hal's little room and began 

 to look over drawers and boxes filled with sundry old 

 things, precious to boys. There were portions of old clock- 

 work, pieces of lead, bits of tin and wire, little bundles 

 of nails and screws, and in a chest that stood on one side 

 of the room was a very neat set of small tools. 



In one corner of the room stood an unfinished model 



