Maggie poked her head through the door and beheld the children upon the lounge.
"Laws a massy, what am yo' doin' thar, honeys?"
Then she saw the crabs on the floor, and she began to laugh.
Now when Maggie laughed it meant more than ordinary merriment. Her eyes rolled and her sides shook.
"Ha, ha, ha. Oh my, oh me. Ha, ha, ha. Well, dis am a sight. I jes' 'lows I must go to Titus about dis yere. Ha, ha, ha," and away she went.
"But, Maggie," cried Beth in protest, "I think you're real mean. We want you to help us catch them."
But Maggie paid no attention to the appeal.
The one-clawed crab stopped for a moment in front of the lounge.
"Harvey, he's making fun of us, too,"
"The impudent thing," exclaimed Harvey, jumping down.