s eat our berries," proposed Nan, after a pause,
during which Rob began to nod.

"So am I, but I can't eat mine, 'cause I told Marmar I'd keep them all
for her."

"You'll have to eat them if no one comes for us," said Nan, who felt
like contradicting every thing just then. "If we stay here a great many
days, we shall eat up all the berries in the field, and then we shall
starve," she added grimly.

"I shall eat sassafras. I know a big tree of it, and Dan told me how
squirrels dig up the roots and eat them, and I love to dig," returned
Rob, undaunted by the prospect of starvation.

"Yes; and we can catch frogs, and cook them. My father ate some once,
and he said they were nice," put in Nan, beginning to find a spice of
romance even in being lost in a huckleberry pasture.

"How could we cook frogs? we haven't got any fire."

"I don't know; next time I'll have matches in my pocket," said Nan,
rather depressed by this obstacle to the experiment in frog-cookery.

"Couldn't we light a fire with a fire-fly?" asked Rob, hopefully, as he
watched them flitting to and fro like winged sparks.

"Let's try;" and several minutes were pleasantly spent in catching the
flies, and trying to make them kindle a green twig or two. "It's a lie
to call them fire-flies when there isn't a fire in them," Nan said,
throwing one unhappy insect away with scorn, though it shone its best,
and obligingly walked up and down the twigs to please the innocent
little experimenters.

"Marmar's a good while coming," said Rob, after another pause, during
which they watched the stars overhead, smelt the sweet fern crushed
under foot, and listened to the crickets' serenade.

"I don't see why God made any night; day is so much pleasanter," said
Nan, thoughtfully.

"It's to sleep in," answered Rob, with a yawn.

"Then do go to sleep," said Nan, pettishly.

"I want my own bed. Oh, I wish I could see Teddy!" cried Rob, painfully
reminded of home by the soft chirp of birds safe in their little nests.

"I don't believe your mother will ever find us," said Nan, who was
becoming desperate, for she hated patient waiting of any sort. "It's so
dark she won't see us."

"It was all black in the ice-house, and I was so scared I didn't call
her, but she saw me; and she will see me now, no matter how dark it is,"
returned confiding Rob, standing up to peer into the gloom for the help
which never failed him.

"I see her! I see her!" he cried, and ran as fast