A few mornings afterwards, Juno came in before breakfast with six eggs in her apron, which she had found in the hen-house. "Look, Missy Seagrave - fowls lay eggs - soon have plenty - plenty for Master William - make him well again - and plenty for chickens by and by." "You haven't taken them all out of the nests, Juno; have you?" "No; leave one in each nest for hen to see." "`Well, then, we will keep them for William, and I hope, as you say, they will make him strong again." "I am getting quite strong now, mother," replied William; "I think it would be better to leave the eggs for the hens to sit upon." "No, no, William; your health is of more consequence than having early chickens." For a few days Mr. Seagrave and Ready were employed at the garden clearing away the weeds, which had begun to sprout up along with the seeds which had been sown; during which time William recovered very fast. The two first days, Juno brought in three or four eggs regularly; but on the third day there were none to be found. On the fourth day the hens appeared also not to have laid, much to the surprise of Mrs. Seagrave; as when hens commence laying eggs they usually continue. On the fifth morning, when they sat down to breakfast, Master Tommy did not make his appearance, and Mrs. Seagrave asked where he was. "I suspect, madam," said Old Ready, laughing, "that Tommy will not come either to his breakfast or his dinner to-day." "What can you mean, Ready?" said Mrs. Seagrave. "Why, madam, I will tell you. I thought it very odd that there were no eggs, and I thought it probable that the hens might have laid astray; so I went about yesterday evening to search. I could not find any eggs, but I found the egg-shells, hid under some cocoa-nut leaves; and I argued, that if an animal, supposing there was any on the island, had taken the eggs, it would not have been so careful to hide the egg-shells. So, this morning, I fastened up the door of the hen-house, and only left open the little sliding door, by which the fowls go in to roost; and then, after you were up, I watched behind the trees, and saw Tommy come out, and go to the hen-house. He tried the door, and finding it fast, crept into the hen-house by the little sliding-door. As soon as he was in I let down the slide, and fastened it with a nail; so there he is, caught in his own trap." "And there shall he remain all day, the little glutton!" said Mr. Seagrave. "Yes, it will serve him right," replied Mrs. Seagrave; "and be a lesson to him."