"What shall we do," asked Bessie, mournfully; "I don't think we can find another such spot as this was in the whole woods. This clump of trees was as full as it could be only the day before yesterday."
Dolly took her stick and poked among the branches to see if any remained. She found about half a dozen, which she knocked down and put in her basket.
"Now I know," said Nelly, "what Dolly brought that pole for,—to knock down the nuts."
"Yes," said Dolly, surveying the stick in question with some pride, "it is splendid for that. I call it my cherry-tree hook, and I use it in cherry time to pull the branches towards me. But come, we must push on and seek our fortunes. Haven't an idee of goin' home without my basket full."
"I give up, for one," said Bessie, despondently, "I don't think we can find a thick place again."
"Never mind, Bessie," said Martin, with good-nature, "we'll find a thin one then. We'll do the best we can, you may be sure. Come, girls, I'll lead the way. Let us follow this little footpath and see where it will take us."
He spoke in an encouraging tone, and suiting the action to the word, walked on ahead. The girls followed him in silence. The underbrush through which the path led was very thick and high, and for a short distance nothing could be discerned on either side. The thorns caught into the clothing of the little party, and they found this by no means an added pleasure. It was not long, however, before the track broadened into a wide, open space, something similar to the one they had just quitted, dotted here and there with trees, but, as fortune would have it, none of them were nut trees. They were on the point of penetrating still further towards the heart of the wood, when a loud rustling among the dead branches and dried leaves of the path made the children turn to discover what was the matter.
A joyful barking followed, and a rough-looking dog bounded out, and began prancing about and leaping upon Dolly.
"Oh, it's only our old Tiger," she exclaimed; "down, Tige, down, sir!"