“Why, yes, a little. I’m sorry that I can’t start more, but there is a reason this year. The schedule will not permit it, the superintendent said, and there is some one who does not want the children to take their Saturdays.”
Jean looked at Nan. “That old school board!” she thought.
“But if you want something to work toward outdoors, I may be able to start you at something. Bird study is my particular hobby, but I also teach and study botany, and bugs and butterflies and anything else in that line. How would you like to begin on snails?” Miss Haynes was actually pretty when she laughed and talked like this. Nan “bet” that she wasn’t much older than the senior girls.
“My father has an old zoology text with lots of interesting pictures in it,” said Phoebe. “I’d like snails better than snakes, but I think I like birds best.”
“And you are a phoebe yourself, aren’t you? How many girls have you in the club?”
“Only seven now.”
“Hunting birds in a crowd is not very good, but if you will promise to be very still, and if you really want to make a start, you may all come out with me early to-morrow morning. I will show you some tree sparrows, a lot of juncos, possibly some fox sparrows, and there is never any knowing what we may find. I’m perfectly delighted to be in Wisconsin, for I’m sure that birds I’ve never seen will be nesting in this inland lake. Then I found some interesting specimens of other things in that swampy place along the little run. I suppose you girls know the common birds and you can help me, for I have never been around the Great Lakes much.”
“I wish that we could help you, Miss Haynes,” said Jean, delighted with the sincerity and kindness of the teacher. “We don’t know much, only some of the commonest birds. We know a heron from a gull and that’s about all, I guess.”
“We’ll study together, then. Now I like to stay out a good while, especially when we are finding things, so bundle up. Any girl that isn’t warmly enough dressed will have to go back!” Miss Haynes smiled, but her firm tone showed that she meant what she said, and it was not the first time that the teachers had mentioned the girls’ dressing too lightly.
“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to take a lunch, too, in case we want to stay?”