had
only cost a few dollars. Henceforth eggs and omelettes became a regular
part of the breakfast, and the puddings were notably improved.

The chickens gave very little trouble, as they foraged about for
themselves, finding an abundance of insects everywhere, and getting in
addition a few pots of Indian corn every morning. Maud and Ethel took it
by turns, week about, to take charge of the hen-house; and a great
pleasure was it to them to watch the numerous broods of young chickens,
and to hunt up the eggs which, in spite of the nests temptingly prepared
for them, the hens would frequently persist in laying in nests of their
own in the long grass.

The hens had, however, a numerous foe, who were a great trouble to their
young mistresses. These were the skunks, an animal of the weasel tribe,
but much resembling squirrels in appearance, and possessing a most
abominable smell; so much so, that the dogs, who would attack almost
anything, would run away from them. They were at first exceedingly
common, and created terrible depredations among the hens. The girls were
in despair, and called in their brothers to their assistance. The boys
shot a good many, for the animals were very tame and fearless; but their
number was so great that this method of destruction was of slight avail.
They then prepared traps of various kinds--some made by an elastic stick
bent down, with a noose at the end, placed at a small entrance left
purposely in the hen-house, so that, when the skunk was about to enter,
he touched a spring, and the stick released, flew into the air, carrying
the animal with it with the noose round its neck; other traps let fall a
heavy piece of wood, which crushed the invader; and in these ways the
skunks were pretty well got rid of, the most unpleasant work being the
removal of the body from the trap. This had to be effected by taking
hold of it with two pieces of wood, for the odour was so powerful, that
if the body was touched, the smell would remain on the hands for days.

They had now added another species of domestic animal to their stock,
but this was the boys' charge. Mr. Hardy, when the pumpkins began to
ripen, bought six pigs. They were of little trouble, for although a sty
was built for them, they were allowed to wander about as they pleased by
day, another wire being added to the fence round the cultivated land, to
keep them from trespassing. The crop of pumpkins was enormous; and Mr.
Hardy determined that no