34 FARM SPIES 



would be the best thing to do. Sometimes several 

 beetles would gather near the same spot with their 

 heads close together. One morning a funny thing 

 happened ; seven of the beetles had gathered near 

 the same spot with heads near together. When 

 Johnny saw them he laughed outright and called 

 his father. Mr. Drake came, pulled his spectacles 

 from his vest pocket, put them on his nose, and slowly 

 and awkwardly set the bows over his ears, in the 

 meantime drawing his face out of shape as though 

 the putting on of spectacles was a painful piece of 

 work. Johnny got impatient, because he was afraid 

 that the bugs would leave their positions before his 

 father would get through putting his spectacles on. 



" It does take dad a long time to get ready before 

 he can look at anything carefully," he said to him- 

 self very impatiently. 



Mr. Drake at last got his spectacles where he 

 wanted them, and looked at the spot which Johnny 

 pointed out to him. 



"They must be plotting," his father said in a low, 

 careless tone, and putting his spectacles back in the 

 vest pocket he walked to the barn, where he had 

 some work to do. Johnny's eyes followed him, 

 searching him from head to foot until he disappeared 

 from sight through the barn door; then, turning 

 around he spit on a chip with much emphasis and 

 grumbled to himself: "I didn't learn much, did I? 



