AND THE WILDERNESS BLOSSOMED 



waited till the chickens went to roost at night, 

 and then they 'd steal out under the trees, and 

 catch mebby a couple by the legs. Then they 'd 

 have to wait till the chickens got settled again. 

 They was up all night, and as it was powerful 

 cold they nearly froze, but they got the 

 chickens." 



" But where did you get these chickens ? " I 

 asked. 



" Oh, I bought 'em of Jerry Oakes ; paid him 

 twenty-five cents apiece for 'em. Jerry was 

 sellin' out. He 'lowed there wa'n't no money 

 in chickens." 



But when the flowers came, the chickens went 

 finally. 



We tried ducks too, but the mammoth frogs 

 of the region swallowed the young ones ; the old 

 drake murdered a few, the hen got paralyzed 

 from long sitting, and the young ones who sur- 

 vived never got big enough to eat before we left 

 in the fall. 



Then four guinea-fowls came, and they were 

 very entertaining for a time. The little spaniel 

 had had much amusement chasing the chickens 

 and levying contributions on their tail-feathers, 

 and he doubtless thought that there ought to be 



ii6 



