229 
A BAND OF PIRATES 
dwellings with tiny snail shells, those having liv¬ 
ing inhabitants being preferred, as their own 
habitation is thus more likely to escape detection. 
The simplest homes of all are those built by the 
caddis worms hatched in swift-moving streams; 
these are merely a few sticks and pebbles glued 
together and fastened to the lower side of a stone. 
The most elaborate caddis dwellings are built of 
mosses, leaves, and sand, run up in the form of 
a tall chimney, with a door at the top. Fabre’s 
caddis worms built magnificent ivory palaces in 
his aquarium from the rice grains which he sup¬ 
plied.” 
“ Hi! ” exulted Tommy, whose bright eyes 
had been busily alert, and he bent swiftly over 
almost on the instant, snatching up a little bunch 
of pebbles which held securely together, but 
which failed to disclose any sign of occupancy. 
“ The thing moved, I saw it!” ruminated the 
boy, as he studied it closely. “ It went right over 
a tiny snail, and when it had passed the snail was 
gone! But there isn’t any door that I can see; 
nothing at all, indeed, by which the craft, if it is 
one, could be moved.” 
“ What about that tiny crevice there? ” sug¬ 
gested Uncle John, pointing to a little rift be¬ 
tween the two “ front ” stones. “ Suppose you 
pry those apart with your knife.” 
Quickly Tommy acted upon this advice, and 
