"Elnora!"
"Oh, Uncle Wesley!" cried the girl. "See what luck we've had! I know we
have a dozen and a half cocoons and we have three pupae cases. It's much
harder to get the cases because you have to dig for them, and you can't
see where to look. But Pete is fine at it! He's found three, and he
says he will keep watch beside the roads, and through the woods while he
hunts. Isn't that splendid of him? Uncle Wesley, there is a college over
there on the western edge of the swamp. Look closely, and you can see
the great dome up among the clouds."
"I should say you have had luck," said Wesley, striving to make his
voice natural. "But I thought you were not coming to the swamp?"
"Well, I wasn't," said Elnora, "but I couldn't find many anywhere else,
honest, I couldn't, and just as soon as I came to the edge I began to
see them here. I kept my promise. I didn't come in alone. Pete came
with me. He's so strong, he isn't afraid of anything, and he's perfectly
splendid to locate cocoons! He's found half of these. Come on, Pete,
it's getting dark now, and we must go."
They started toward the trail, Pete carrying the cocoons. He left them
at the case, while Elnora and Wesley went on to the carriage together.
"Elnora Comstock, what does this mean?" demanded her mother.
"It's all right, one of the neighbours was with her, and she got several
dollars' worth of stuff," interposed Wesley.
"You oughter seen my pa," shouted Billy.
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