dition to the dinner,
which was nearly ready. Tommy at first went with his sister Caroline to
look at the animal, and as soon as he had left off admiring it, he
began, as usual, to tease it; first he poked its eyes with a stick, then
he tried to unfold his tail, but the animal flapped, and he ran away.
At last he was trying to put his stick into the creature's mouth, when
it raised its large claw, and caught him by the wrist, squeezing him so
tight that Tommy screamed and danced about as the crayfish held on.
Fortunately for him, the animal had been so long out of water, and had
been so much hurt by the iron spike of the boat-hook, that it was more
than half-dead, or he would have been severely hurt. Ready ran to him,
and disengaged the crayfish; but Tommy was so frightened, that he took
to his heels, and did not leave off running until he was one hundred
yards from the house, while Juno and Ready were laughing at him till the
tears came into their eyes. When he saw the crayfish on the table, he
appeared to be afraid of it, although it was dead.

"Well, Tommy," said Mr Seagrave, "I suppose you won't eat any of the
crayfish?"

"Won't I?" replied Tommy. "I'll eat him, for he tried to eat me."

"Why did you not leave the animal alone, Tommy?" said Mr Seagrave; "if
you had not tormented it, it would not have bitten you; I don't know
whether you ought to have any."

"I don't like it; I won't have any," replied Tommy. "I like salt pork
better."

"Well, then, if you don't like it, you shall not have it forced upon
you, Tommy," replied Mr Seagrave; "so now we'll divide it among the
rest of us."

Tommy was not very well pleased at this decision, for he really did wish
to have some of it, so he turned very sulky for the rest of the
dinner-time, especially when old Ready told him that he had had his
share of the crayfish before dinner.

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.

As soon as the meal was over, Mr Seagrave and Juno assisted them in
carrying down the canvas and poles for the tent, with shovels to clear
away, and the pegs to fix the tents up properly. Before they started,
William observed, "I think it would be a good thing, if Ready and I were
to take our bedding with us, and then we could fix up one tent this
evening, and sleep there; to-morrow morning we might set up the other,
and get a good deal of work over before we come back."

"You are right, William," replied Ready; "let us see what Juno can give
us to eat, a