94 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



"Just as if you knew anything about it," said Ben. 



" I do," said Hal. " I always used to catch butterflies in 

 my hat, only I never kept them before, and I know we 

 have had most all the kinds at the class. There are some 

 little dark butterflies I have seen in the woods that we 

 have not had yet. Mr. Benedict will want those of course." 



One day, not long after this conversation took place, Hal 

 and Tom started out into the. woods to look for some of 

 the little dark butterflies of which Hal had spoken. The 

 woods were deliciously cool and the boys lay down under 

 the trees for a long time before looking about for their 

 butterflies. It was so pleasant to watch the stray bits of 

 sunlight which came gleaming down here and there be- 

 tween the branches, falling in bright bits of light on 

 clusters of delicate, wavy ferns and beds of rich moss. 



"Well, Tom," said Hal, springing up at length, "we 

 sha'n't accomplish much in this way. I want to fill my 

 box with the little brownies before I go home." 



They started off, one towards the mountain and the 

 other into the Birches, and agreed to meet under the Elm 

 at home. Tom was very successful that afternoon. He 

 had grown quite familiar with the secret of creeping safely 

 through bushes and briers, and he could tumble over a 

 stone wall as gracefully as any real country boy ; so he 

 went easily about in the thickets on the mountain, and 

 long before sunset a brownie was mounted on , every cork 



