“I’ll go and have a look,” said Mike. He put down his plate and went to the hen-yard. He looked here - and he looked there - he lifted up the sack that was stretched over one corner of the yard for shelter - but no hens were there!
“Are they all right?” called Jack.
Mike turned in dismay. “No!” he said. “They’re not here! They’ve gone!”
“Gone!” cried Jack, springing up in astonishment. “They can’t have gone! They must be there!”
“Well, they’re not,” said Mike. “They’ve completely vanished! Not even a cluck left!”
All the children ran to the hen-yard and gazed in amazement and fright at the empty space.
“Do you suppose someone has been here and taken them?” said Peggy.
“No,” said Jack sternly, “look here! This explains their disappearance!”
He pointed to a hole in the fence of the hen-yard. “See that hole! They’ve all escaped through there - and now goodness knows where they are!”
“Well, I never heard them go,” said Peggy. “I was the only one left here. They must have gone when I went to get water from the spring!”