CHAPTER XIII 

 AROUND THE OLD BARN 



This day the bird lovers from Orchard Farm were 

 having a picnic in the hickory and oak woods back of 

 the fields. It was a charming place for such a day's 

 outing, for on the edge of the Avoods stood an old tAvo- 

 storied hay barn, Avhich Avas empty in early June and a 

 capital place in Avhich to play " I spy " and '' feet 

 above Avater." On the other side of the Avood AA^as an 

 old SAvampy meadow full of saplings and tangled bushes, 

 such as birds love for nesting places. 



The Doctor had set Rap, Nat, and Dodo roaming 

 about to look for birds, and promised to tell them some- 

 thing of their habits Avhen each child had Avritten doAA^i 

 the description of tAvo birds. 



The children divided their hunting ground, so that 

 they might not interfere Avith each other. Dodo chose 

 the AVOods, because she Avanted to stay near OUa^c, aa^io 

 was making a sketch of some ferns ; Rap took the old 

 barn and a bit of bushy pasture near it, and Nat Avent 

 doAvn to the SAvampy meadow Avith its border of cedar 

 trees. While they tramped about the Doctor sat Avith 

 his back against the side of the barn, looking over the 

 beautiful scene and thinking. 



The children did not return until after Mammy liun 

 had spread out a delicious luncheon in the barn, and 



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