is the way Mr.
Locust breathes."

"Oh," said Betty, "then it hasn't got any nose? I thought everything in
the world had a nose."

"And this little body," the old man went on, "is as strong as a grub
hoe. With it the locust makes holes in fence rails, logs, stumps, and
the earth, and in those holes mother locust lays her eggs. See, those
four spines are for boring holes. With these Mrs. Locust bores a hole in
the ground, and then with these same spines she guides the bundles of
eggs into the hole and covers them up with a gummy stuff. There the eggs
stay until next spring, when, my dear, out comes a little hopper with no
wings, and this little hopper is called a nymph. It grows and splits its
skin, grows and splits its skin, and with its new skin--it has five or
six skins, and leaves all its old clothes hanging around on the
bushes--its wings grow bigger and bigger. At last it flies off just as
its mother and father did a year ago."

Ben Gile tossed the locust into the air and called out, "Shoo!" clapping
his hands loudly together. Out from the woods came two baby deer, a
wise, gentle old cow; from the cabin came a mother cat and three kittens
and a big black dog; and from the trees scampered down a half a dozen
squirrels.

"Time for dinner."

Betty went up to him and whispered something in his ear. The old man
nodded his head solemnly, and the little girl went trotting along the
path to Rangeley Village.

IV

FIDDLERS

There was the greatest scurrying around in the fields on the edge of the
woods about Ben Gile's cabin. Little girls and boys were flitting hither
and thither with pretty nets and small boxes strapped over their
shoulders. Inside the boxes there seemed to be just as much hopping
about as there was outside.

By-and-by the guide put his head out of his cabin door and called, "How
many have you?"

"Oh, lots and lots!" the children answered.

"Bring them in." And the children trooped into the cabin, which they
thought quite the most wonderful place in the world. Its walls were
lined with books and cases. The books were not only in English, but also
in French, German, Italian, Latin, Greek, and other languages, and the
cases were filled with scores of specimens, the most beautiful
butterflies, moths, beetles, birds, flowers, and rare stones. The floor
of the cabin was covered by different kinds of skins. Besides, there
were telescopes, field-glasses, magnifying-glasses, specimen cases,