esert island will have lost its charm, and wild beasts be no longer a
source of terror or interest. Betty and John had, fortunately for
them, not yet reached this miserable epoch. At their sister's last
words they shouted and danced about on the uneven sticks until they
were in imminent danger of falling out of the Eagle's Nest much faster
than they climbed in.

"I thought you would consider it a good idea," said Madge modestly.

"Rather! I should think so! It's the awfullest, jolliest notion! It
is! it is!" cried the twins alternately. At that moment they felt that
nobody ever had ideas quite as good as Madge's.

But presently John, as usual, saw an objection to the scheme.

"I'm afraid string won't be strong enough," he began gloomily. "It
might bear Betty's weight, but it certainly won't ours." He was at
least two inches taller, and several pounds heavier than his twin
sister, and was never tired of drawing attention to the fact.

"Do you think we are heavier than those great bundles of hay that
Barton carries on his back when he is going to feed the cows in the
winter?" inquired Madge.

John looked rather puzzled by this mysterious question, but Betty
interposed hastily: "Oh, no! They must be much heavier than us! Why,
Barton can sometimes hardly load them on his back and stoops almost
double as he walks. And I know he can carry two of us, because one day
when John and I were sitting on the pig-sty wall he came and just
lifted us off one under each arm, and carried us all the way back to
the garden as easily as possible."

"It wasn't because we were sitting on the pigsty wall that he lifted us
off," observed John. "We are allowed to sit there as much as we
like--at least you aren't, because it dirties your frocks, but I am.
It was because you were throwing stones at the little pigs and he
thought you would hurt them."

"It wasn't stones!" cried Betty indignantly. "It was little bits of
moss I picked off the walls, because they had nothing green to
eat--only--"

"Oh, children! Don't be so silly! Wrangling on about things that
don't matter in the least!" interrupted Madge in her most sensible
manner. "We all agree about the only thing of any consequence," she
continued. "The ropes that go round the bundles of hay would be strong
enough to bear us. And I know where to get them! They are coiled up
behind the manger in the cow-house, and Barton has not used them lately
as the cows are not ha